<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Good Ol' Days (A Stanfiction) by sincerelysag</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25273039">The Good Ol' Days (A Stanfiction)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sincerelysag/pseuds/sincerelysag'>sincerelysag</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gravity Falls</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff and stuff, I would die for Stan Pines, Idiots in Love, Mutual Masturbation, My Ex-wife still misses me but her aims getting better, Slow Burn, Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:20:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>46,876</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25273039</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sincerelysag/pseuds/sincerelysag</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The pieces of a broken marriage are put back together through the reminiscing of old memories. Two unlikely children bring Stan Pines and Reader back together through adventures from blind dating to mayhem. Through a crazy string of events, they realize that they are still the best team the world has known.</p><p>[Female Reader]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Stan Pines/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>85</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Good Riddance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Cheapskate!</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Spendthrift</em>!<strong>"</strong></p><p>It was another typical afternoon at the Mystery Shack, a warzone of insults and profanities being hurled between you and Stan. It was always the same argument, and this time, the object of the quarrel was the leaky roof in Mabel and Dipper’s bedroom. You had asked Stan to think of investing money into some hardwood and shingles so Soos could repair the leak. Always responding with an “I’ll get it done,” wasn’t going to tithe you over anymore. You were fed up with the man’s empty promises.</p><p><em><strong>"</strong>I've asked you to do this several months ago, well, look where that got us. Do you think this is any place for the kids to sleep?<strong>"</strong></em> You stamped your foot on the floorboards in anger, pointing up towards the gaping hole in the ceiling that had grown over time.</p><p>The weather in Gravity falls was brutal and unpredictable at times and it just so happened to be the one month of the summer where the humidity turned to thunderstorms.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>I don’t know what you’re talking about-<strong>"</strong></em> Stan said with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest. Man, could he be stubborn. The two of you continued to bicker over the ceiling, the rain now having drenched the two of you as it poured through the crater above.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Oh, don’t pull the senile, old man card again</em>-<strong>"</strong> You were beginning to raise your voice, stepping closer towards him as you pushed the tip of your index finger against his chest.</p><p>You were cut off by the sounds of grunts from outside the shack. Soos was making his way towards the hole in the roof. Both you and Stan stopped in your argument to look up towards the ceiling, awaiting what was to come.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Fixed it, dudes</em>,<strong>"</strong> Soos yelled over the storm as he slid the handle of a large umbrella into the crevice, the canopy keeping the rain out.</p><p>Stan huffed under his breath in victory, looking down towards you in arrogant pride. You could punch that smug grin off his face right there.</p><p>Not a moment later, a large flash of light followed immediately by the sound of a grown man screaming came from the roof. Your hands lifted to cover your mouth in shock. The both of you, once again returned your attention to Soos. The umbrella had blown away in the storm, welcoming the rain back into the children’s bedroom.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>My goodness, are you okay Soos</em>?<strong>"</strong> You called out, relieved as you heard a strained, “Yes, Ma’am.”</p><p>“That doesn’t qualify for workers comp.” Stan called to Soos, his hand cupped by his mouth to amplify his remark.</p><p>It became apparent how different the two of you were in that moment, how you handled situations; financial and personal. The obvious contrast in character was always there, but you always pushed it away. For what reason you did that, you had forgotten. You were a strange business team, that was for certain, but what about Stan wasn’t strange? You stared at him in disbelief. While you had grown to appreciate and understand his dark sense of humor, you knew there was always truth behind it. Humor was his vice, and as much as you had a love-hate relationship with his callous quips, he was a master with them. This, however, was the last straw.</p><p>“What?” Stan grumbled, looking over at you with a quizzical expression.</p><p>“You- You are the most selfish, pompous, immature man I have ever known,” You said sternly, staring up at him. His brows furrowed, eyes jabbing at you as if he were about to tear you limb from limb.</p><p>“Oh?” He responded in a gravely tone, his knuckles going white as he clenched his hand into a fist.</p><p>You could feel the fire from down below the earth’s crust start to raise to the attic where you stood, but you weren’t scared. In fact, you didn’t know when to shut your mouth. This wasn’t about the hole in the attic ceiling anymore. No, you were standing up to the man after years of mistreatment and feeling like your work wasn’t adequate enough for him.</p><p>“Sweetheart, you’re nothing special either. And may I remind you, you married this pompous, immature man-” Stan lashed back, raising his voice over what you typically heard from him when he was aggravated.</p><p>“Hey guys-” Soos called from outside, where he was hopelessly hanging on to the side of the shack.</p><p>“Not now Soos,” You yelled in anger, your eyes not leaving Stan’s as you were determined to win this argument. Stan was finally listening to you, and you weren’t about to let him go without hearing what has been on your mind. Recently, whenever you argued, Stan was “always” right. You were tired of being a pushover for him.</p><p>“I’ve never been anything special to you, have I? Why did we even get married?”</p><p>This struck a nerve with Stan, and one with you as well. You never figured in the time you two have been married that it would ever come to this. As strange as it was, you were the best team the world had come to know. Always had each other’s back through thick and thin. There wasn’t an obstacle big enough that you and Stan couldn’t fight through together. This was a surge of emotions, neither one of you able to come to a compromise or gain a level head. This was an argument gone horribly wrong. There was no backtracking on the damage that was about to be done between the both of you. You didn’t know why the question that came out of your mouth just then did, but you wish you could retract it, take it back. Stan was too far gone now, too angry to calm down and regain sight on you.</p><p>“Why DID we get married?” He quipped, pushing past you to walk down the stairs.</p><p>You quickly followed after him, almost stumbling down the stairs. Dragging out a suitcase from the closet, Stan swung it onto the bed you shared. It popped open from the sheer force. With haste, he began throwing your clothes in without care to fold. Shutting the suitcase with a slam, he buckled the hinges, handing it to you. Pieces of your clothing stuck out through the sides.<br/>"Y-you're kicking me out?" You said in sheer surprise. "Where do I go?"</p><p>“You always callin’ me a penny-pincher? Here, here’s three hundred dollars for you to get as far away from me as possible.”</p><p>Taking the suitcase in your hand, you looked at the money he held out to you. You looked up at him, tears beginning to brim in the corners of your eyes. Stan chose to avoid eye contact with you, for which you toughened up, quickly wiping the tears that fell onto your cheeks.</p><p>“Well, go on.”</p><p>“I don’t want your money,” You spit out, pushing his hand away. You tried your best to hold yourself together so as to not have your voice break. “Keep it. You care more about it than anything else in the world.”</p><p>“Of course-” Stan scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Just get out already."</p><p>"What happened to the man I met all those years ago?"</p><p>"He died. I ate him." He replied in a taunting tone.</p><p>There was more relentless, back and forth arguments, the both of you taking every opportunity you could to jab at each other. Finally, realizing it was best for both of you,you began walking towards the door of the shack, but Stan wasn’t about to let you leave with the final word. As comical as it came out, he felt like he had just laid the final burn,</p><p>“Oh, and please let the door hit you on the way out-”</p><p>Just as soon as you had opened it, you found a soaked pair of twins standing on the porch, about to enter.</p><p>“Hi Auntie Reader,” Mabel piped up with a cheery smile. She had twisted her hair over her shoulder, ringing out the water. Dipper walked in after her, greeting her with a smile as he took off his hat.</p><p>“Oh, hey kids,” You said sniffling, relieved to see some friendly faces after the brawl you and Stan just duked out. Reaching down, you ruffled Dipper’s hair, making it more messy than it was in the first place.</p><p>“How was your adventure?”</p><p>“Wet-” Mabel replied. “We had to come back early.”</p><p>Dipper was the first to ask about the suitcase. “Where are you going?”</p><p>Keeping your eyes on the kids, refusing to look up at Stan, you kneeled down to their level.</p><p>“I’m going on a trip. Take care of yourselves, okay?”</p><p>Both of the twins looked disappointed to hear this news. You couldn’t deny that you were just as sad to deliver it. They had both just arrived at Gravity Falls to begin their summer, you were looking forward to getting to know them. However, you would be caught dead if you had to spend any more time around the boorish jerk that was Stan Pines.</p><p>“Take care of your Grunkle.” You said grimly.</p><p>Rising back to your feet, you tighten your grip on your suitcase. You didn’t have to shoot Stan a glance to know what he was doing, standing there with his arms over his chest, chin up, looking off. It was a childish stance, the aftermath of an eruptive tantrum. Your prediction was terribly mistaken. Sure, Stan was standing there, arms folded, but he wasn't looking off. He was staring directly at you as you embraced Mabel and Dipper, tears brimming in your eyes. The big, barrel-chested man stood there, looking like a lost child. He couldn’t explain why he didn’t reach out then and grab you to apologize for the events that had unfolded. Maybe it was pride, or the thought of ‘If she won’t say then I won’t.”</p><p>You exited the shack, suitcase in hand, and an umbrella in the other. The sound of a large thud beside you nearly had you drop the load you carried. Soos laid face down on the grass before raising a thumb, “M’okay!” He chimed.</p><p>You were going who knows where. No, seriously. That’s what was written on the bus as you boarded. “Who Knows Where, OR.” It was a town over or so. You got on the bus without looking back, for your hearts sake, you couldn’t.</p><p>Mable and Dipper watched as their Grunkle Stan produced a “Pitt” soda from the refrigerator, pulling back on the tab and taking a long swig of the beverage. With a grumble, he made his way towards the armchair he frequented in the living room. Plopping down and reclining, he turned on the television to numb his mind over reruns of “Baby Fights.”</p><p>“Grunkle Stan?” Mabel spoke in a soft and curious tone as she placed her hand on his forearm.</p><p>“Hey kiddo,” He said gently, glancing over at her with a sad smile. As tears began to glaze his eyes, Stan quickly turned his attention back to the monitor which illuminated the dark room.</p><p>“Man, you never get THIS emotional over Baby Fights,” Dipper pointed out, observing his uncle’s demeanor. “What happened with you and Auntie Reader.”</p><p>“Nothing!” Stan rebutted, shaking off the kids’ questions. He sniffed, wiping the bottom of his nose as he dragged the back of his hand along. “It’s just allergies.”</p><p>The twins shared a glance in suspicion.</p><p>“Shouldn’t you two be getting ready for bed?”</p><p>“But it’s only 3 in the afternoon-” Mabel whined, only to be answered by Stan pointing to the stairs. “Bed, now!”</p><p>The twins, knowing it was a bad time to try and reason with their Grunkle, made their way up the stairs and to their room. The hole in the ceiling still had not been repaired, leaving them to figure it out among themselves.</p><p>Downstairs in the living room, Stan had turned up the television in an attempt to drown out his thoughts. He was never comfortable to be alone with his emotions. Now more than ever, he wished to turn his mind off for a while. However, the show he loved seemed boring without Reader there to comment on the action with him.</p><p>‘What just happened?’ He thought as he nursed his head in his hand. Slowly, the events became too much for him to push aside anymore. There was no shame in crying, at least, there was no one around for him to feel any shame, anyway. ‘It’s healthy,’ he recalled Reader saying as they helped him through similar times like this, times when he didn’t know how to appropriately handle emotions.</p><p>Shoulders trembled, his chest heaving as he allowed himself to feel grief in the dark of the living room. His thumb ran over the solid gold wedding band he wore.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Collide {Flashback}</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Gravity Falls, where dreams come to die.” No. “Gravity Falls, awaken to your worst nightmare.”</p><p>You were getting pretty good at creating slogans, maybe you should reconsider going back into advertising. If your confidence level wasn’t so low you could’ve made your mark, maybe step foot in a few well-known corporations. Make a reputable name for yourself.</p><p>You arrived at Gravity Falls, a college dropout, having no direction in life. With parents having the expectation you were here to attend grad school and further your education, you felt nothing short of a loser. And a lying one at that. Such big plans were held over you, expectations that you doubted you would ever meet. To think you possibly could have but no, you saw a film that inspired you to throw all your possessions away and travel the world. Why do movies make poverty look so glamorous? </p><p>At least you had the opportunity to live amongst the most enchanting views you have ever seen. In your opinion, now more than ever, it was the most bewitching time to be in Oregon. Across the town, winter had made its presence known. It was that hot cocoa, warming up by the fire, and listening to carols season that you adored so much. And here you were, personally able to experience it for yourself. You had only dreamed of a snow-filled holiday through the movies you watched back home. If only you had your loved ones to share it with. </p><p>_____</p><p>With a sigh, you sank further into the diner booth, folding your arms one over the other and lowering your head down to rest against them. An uncomfortable thought crossed your mind. What would your family think of you now if they saw you? You didn’t want to dwell on that image too long, it made your stomach turn. From all they knew, you were at an acclaimed university with your nose stuck in the books as you prepared for exams. But here you were, sitting at a hole-in-the-wall diner, struggling to make ends meet at your dead end job at the public library. </p><p>The opinions of others were never something you gave much thought to, you learned to give that up pretty quickly. However, when it came to your family, you would do anything to keep your reputation perfect in their eyes. Who could blame you? You had big shoes to fill with your mother and father working at places that were held at such high regard. </p><p>You stared at the neatly wrapped box in front of you, or at least it was neat before shipping and handling got to it. Today was your birthday. A day you had always enjoyed as it meant quality time with your friends and family. This birthday was the first you would have to spend without them.</p><p>Gently, you- Oh what was the point of being gentle, the box already looked like it had been through the works. Ripping off the ribbon around the package, you tore into the wrapping paper excitedly. Gifts had always brightened your day, especially when they were from loved ones. Not to mention, your family always gave you the best gifts.</p><p>To be receiving something that was directly from them made the distance not seem so crippling anymore. You had taken the bus all the way from Famousville, California. To be living all the way up the country was both intimidating and a little bit frightening. It was you against the world, as you were too afraid to break out of your comfort zone and attempt to make friends with the locals. </p><p>Opening the package, you reached your hand in to retrieve it’s contents; a letter and a VHS tape. With your thumb you tore at the lip of the envelope, pulling out the paper inside. It read;</p><p>“Hey Sweetie,</p><p>We know you’re just having the best time in Oregon with your friends. We’re sorry we weren’t able to make it out in time for your birthday this year. Work has been jam packed as it usually is during the holidays.<br/>
Your mom tried to send a slice of cake to you in the mail but I stopped that disaster from occurring. You’re welcome.<br/>
We’ll just have to wait until you get back down here before we can celebrate properly with you. In the meantime, we slid some money into the envelope. Get yourself something nice, on us. We hope you’re not studying too hard. Give us a call, we’d love to hear from you.</p><p>We love you, Pumpkin.<br/>
Dad, Mom, and Henry<br/>
P.S. There’s a tape in the box from us, wishing you a happy birthday. I also recorded an episode of “Buddies” for you, it’s on there as well. </p><p>A smile beamed on your face. As you read, you could hear their voices as if they were wishing you well, personally. Realization hit you hard, you truly missed them. It made your heart ache, thinking of your family. Holding the paper tight in your hands, you wiped a tear as it fell along your cheek, your fingers quivering around the paper.</p><p>“Here’s your strawberry milkshake, dear.” </p><p>The unfamiliar voice from beside you quickly brought you back to reality. Pulling yourself back together, you looked up with a smile, greeted by a waitress sporting the most hideous blue eyeshadow you had ever seen. You stifled a laugh. </p><p>“I’m sorry, M’am, I didn’t order a shake.”</p><p>There was no one else in the diner. </p><p>“No, but HE did-” The waitress tipped her head towards a gentleman who sat at the diner’s bar. He shot you with a shy smile as your gaze met. She placed the milkshake in front of you. It looked delicious. A tall glass of creamy, strawberry deliciousness topped off with a generous amount of whipped cream and a cherry.</p><p>The young man didn’t look too much older than you, brown messy hair reaching just below his shoulders. He wore a red coat with a grey, faux fir trim. If it weren’t for his kind gesture, you would’ve been intimidated to acknowledge him. He had grizzly characteristics. In fact, he looked like someone who would’ve bullied you in grade school. </p><p>“Oh, well, tell him I said thank you.”</p><p>“I think he’d appreciate it more if it came from you,” The waitress murmured as she sported a wink, tucking her serving tray beneath her arm. She made her way back to the kitchen, leaving you and the man alone. </p><p>“Thank you,” you called out to him grinning before hunching back in your seat to busy yourself with looking over the letter so as to not strike up any conversation. </p><p>Apparently, the time you spent in self-isolation had cost you your social skills. The polite thing to do would have been to join him at the bar, however, you were in uncharted territory. Surrounded by strange people in a strange new world. You were a master of over analyzing situations and you just couldn’t read too much into this. </p><p>Without you knowing, he sauntered over towards where you sat. You about jumped out of your skin when the man asked if he could join you in the booth, opposite. Accepting his request, you nodded.</p><p>“I’m sorry to have scared you.”</p><p>Waving off his apology, you laughed, “I’m just easily startled. Hey, really, thank you for the treat- Uh-”</p><p>“Stanely,” He responded with a grin, offering his hand across the table. “You seem like you could use it.”</p><p>Was it that obvious? You hated displaying your emotions in public. It was embarrassing. Your cheeks flushed as you took his hand in yours, smiling in return.</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Reader.”</p><p>The two of you exchanged another smile, looking around the diner walls as you endured the awkward silence. The wood of the walls were not anywhere near as interesting as you made it seem at that moment. It had been a while since you had made a friend outside the ones you had at home. Friendly encounters in passing didn’t count. </p><p>“So, what’s got ya so down?” Stanley asked in concern, filling the gap in conversation.</p><p>“Oh, uh-” Folding up the letter that was spread out in front of you, you tucked it in your jacket pocket. </p><p>Stan could see he had crossed a topic you weren’t comfortable addressing, quickly making up for it in a snarky remark. “It’s the diner right? It’s pretty depressing, I know. The omelets are okay, though.” </p><p>Looking up at him, you snickered. You admired the sentiment. He had kind eyes, yearning to understand and get to know you more. He seemed nice enough, maybe it wouldn’t hurt for you to confide in a stranger. </p><p>“No, it’s just homesickness, that’s all.” </p><p>Stanley gave an understanding nod.</p><p>“I know how isolating it feels,” he replied, extending his sympathy to you.</p><p>A few moments more of uncomfortable stillness was shared between the two of you. From the outside, it was painful to watch. You had everything in the world to talk about with him, but you just could not find the words. Your tongue was caught, as was his. Looking towards the milkshake that still remained untouched, you chuckled.</p><p>“I suppose we should drink this, huh?”</p><p>Stan looked at you, posing a grin. “I suppose we should.” He stood and walked to the bar of the diner. Reaching over without permission from the waitress, he produced another glass, placing it down in front of him as he reclaimed his spot in the booth. Reaching for his cup, you generously poured him a drink, scooping some of the whipped out of your own glass and plopping it into his. </p><p>“I don’t like the cherries,” You commented, comically grimacing at it.</p><p>“Well, lucky for you, little lady, I do-” Stanley replied as he reached across to pick it out of your glass, plopping it in his mouth with a smile. </p><p>It wasn’t long before the two of you were able to share a conversation, this time uninterrupted by awkward silence. It was easy to warm up to Stanely, he was funny, charming, and you appreciated his bluntness. Your feeling of homesickness had quickly vanished, and you forgot why you were initially sad to begin with. Stanley felt like a buddy you had known all your life, a friend you had grown up with. You shared your interests of movies and hiking and how you enjoyed writing in your free time. He told you about his life growing up in New Jersey, how him and his brother used to box. Stan told you how he liked to fish and offered to take you out some time to join him, as long as you were still in town when the weather warmed up. Time flew by as you sat there, sharing in your life experiences with each other. Only the small things were brought up in conversation, like your shared interest in the outdoors. You figured you didn’t want to get into your entire life story with him.</p><p>“How long have we been here?” You suddenly asked.</p><p>“I don’t know, maybe an hour or so- Why?”</p><p>“It’s getting late, I should head home.” </p><p>“What? The night is young, don’t go home just yet,” Stanley replied, with a humorous pout in his tone. This made you smile, he wanted to spend more time with you. You had momentarily forgotten what it felt like to be amongst a friend. </p><p>“Okay, okay,” You mocked him, rolling your eyes in tease. “But we’re getting out of here, I think I’ve melted to the leather seats.” </p><p>Stanley stood up and you had followed him out, a bell ringing after you to announce your departure. The brisk winter air immediately slapped the both of you in the face. You would never be able to acclimate to these negative degree temperatures. Pulling your scarf up over your mouth and nose, you held it there. Meanwhile, the weather didn’t seem to phase Stan as he trudged through the thick snow. </p><p>“Hey, it’s a little chilly out here,” He commented, as if just now beginning to realize the frigid weather. </p><p>“Uh-huh,” You replied through chattering teeth, nodding your head quickly as you hoped your movements would help to warm you up a little bit. </p><p>A hearty chuckle was produced beneath his breath, visible as it escaped him. “Cold?” He teased, gazing down at you in amusement. “Come on, my car is right over here.”</p><p>Normally, you would be weary to get in a car alone with someone you just met. Common sense was not something you were deficient in, however, you were going to freeze to death if you didn’t oblige. You had years of self-defense classes under your belt, you could potentially take him down if need be. However, those chances you deemed slim. The man looked like he could take down five of you and leave without a scratch. </p><p>“Well, are you comin’?” He asked, standing out in the cold, holding open the passenger side door for you. Stan could sense your hesitation, he was understanding of why you were shy to get in. Reaffirming you, he smiled gently. “I promise, you’re safe with me. If at any time you want to go home, we will.”</p><p>You smiled from beneath the thick scarf that hugged your face. Lowering your head, you sat down in the passenger seat, buckling the seatbelt as Stan shut the door, getting in on the driver’s side to start the car. It took a few times of turning the key over before the engine finally responded with a roar. Yeesh, this car was a mess! At least it was warm inside. You were thankful for that as you lowered the scarf. </p><p>“Welcome to the Stanmobile.” Stan mentioned, looking at you in pride as he patted the dashboard. “What do you think? Pretty isn’t she?”</p><p>“She’s… something.” You teased, watching as his features displayed offense. You couldn’t help but laugh as you lightly bumped your shoulder against the side of his arm to play it off. “I’m joking. It’s nice, thank you for the ride.”</p><p>“So, where do you want to go? We could just drive if you want, see what there is to do around this dingy ol’ town.”</p><p>“That sounds great.”</p><p>And with that, you were off. You had nowhere to be, it was nice spending time with Stan. It hadn’t been long and the two of you were already warming up to each other. Turning on the radio, he began drumming his thumbs against the steering wheel to classic rock. You could put together that he was a classic rock kind of guy. There was always something new to learn about him. </p><p>As you drove through the town, Stan took on the role of being your personal tour guide. Pointing out various spots and locations, telling you fun facts and the history of each one. Whether or not these stories were true was one thing, but he sounded convincing enough. For such a small town, there was so much you hadn’t discovered. It was a charming place. Street Lamps illuminated the stores, garland hung from the doors and windows. Peering out the window, you noticed residents leaving and entering shops with bags, children dragging their parents into the toy store. Gravity falls was preparing for the holidays, and it couldn’t have made you more happy. </p><p>Rounding a corner, you were heading away from main street and towards a more natural part of the town. Through the gaps in the trees, you could spot strings of lights over what looked to be people Ice skating. You beamed, turning to Stan, “Do you want to go skating?” </p><p>Stan chuckled at your immediate request, and seeing as how the idea made you glow, how could he say no? It sounded fun, and it gave the two of you an excuse to spend more time with each other.</p><p>Pulling into a spot in the lot among the other vehicles, the two of you got out of the car to approach the ticket booth. You had brought the money that your parents had gifted you for your birthday. There wasn’t a better way to spend this money, you thought, than on a fun evening with you and your new friend. And who doesn’t enjoy falling right on their tailbone? </p><p>With a protest from Stan about who would pay, you were able to slide the vendor money before he was. There wasn’t much of a fight from him as he didn’t exactly have the funds for it. The two of you made your way over to some park benches beside the frozen over lake, both with a pair of skates. </p><p>“I gotta warn you, I’m not very graceful on my feet.” </p><p>“Oh, how bad can you be?” You teased, carefully getting on the ice. Holding your arms out a bit for balance, you wobbled back and forth before gaining your bearings. As soon as the man got on the ice his feet slipped out from beneath him. It reminded you of those cartoons where the unfortunate main character slips on a banana peel, or stumbles on loose marbles. He hit the ground with a thud. </p><p>“Oh.” You covered your mouth, giggling beneath your breath.</p><p>Seeing you stifle a laugh, Stan’s face grew red with embarrassment. Carefully making your way over to him,  you held a hand out. </p><p>He was hopeful as he accepted your help, willing to give it another chance. Raising to his feet with a wobbly stance, you gently skated forward, pulling him along with you.</p><p>“That’s it, easy. Just put one foot out in front of the other.” You encouraged him. It was like watching a child begin to walk, a big, hairy, adult child. </p><p>“I’m gonna let go.” </p><p>Stan’s eyes widened as you said this, but he was determined to make it on his own. For a good while, he did, until he lost his balance once more, this time falling smack on his butt. Groaning, you watched as he rubbed his backside. That would definitely leave an impressive bruise. You could tell by the way his eyebrows settled just above his eyes, his jaw tightening as he clenched his teeth, that he was frustrated and done with this activity already.</p><p>Making your way over to him, you purposefully allowed your leg to fall out from beneath you, plopping down on the ice beside him. You hoped it would ease his irritation, making a fool of yourself with him. Judging by the way his features relaxed, you could tell your plan succeeded. </p><p>“What did I tell you? I’m a clumsy buffoon.” Stan said with a huff.</p><p>“Look around you, who here isn’t?” You asked, lowering your head so your eyes could catch his.<br/>
“You’re so hard on yourself.” The gesture meant more to Stanely than you knew, you were slowly getting to him. He could tell that he was in great company with you, a relationship he wanted to explore. </p><p>“It’s easy for you to say, Reader, you haven’t fallen once. And no, that pity stumble doesn’t count?” A wink was shot at you.</p><p>“The evening’s not over yet, is it?” You chaffed, getting back to your feet and offering a hand to him.</p><p>Reaching out, he took hold of your hand, you helped pull him up before purposefully letting go and allowing him to fall back on the ice. “Oops,” A devilish grin crossed your face as you looked away in mock innocence. </p><p>“You don’t know what you just started-” Stan shot with a laugh, clumsily getting to his feet. </p><p>And just like that, the pair of you were off to the races. The ice rink slowly cleared of it’s guests as you skated through the evening together, occasionally bumping one another over. You didn’t want the night to end. </p><p>It was all fun and games, and you were enjoying your evening of roughhousing, until Stan body slammed you to the ice. He had gotten so distracted in the tease, he forgot his own strength. Both of you collapsed on the hard surface, and you instantly felt a sharp pain in your foot, feeling as though it had been snapped. A sound of distress arose from you in the moment. Stan’s eyes grew wide as he heard the impact of his weight on your foot, trapping you between him and the ice. Scrambling to his knees to get off of you, he was quick to your aide. </p><p>“Oh no! Reader, I-I am so sorry, are you oka-”</p><p>Your eyes tightened, grimacing before looking down towards the damage. It all happened in a moment, and your mind was still catching up with the torment. </p><p>“It’s okay, it was an accident,” you responded with a wounded smile through clenched teeth. All you knew in that moment was that you wanted to cry from the pain, but you couldn’t have poor Stan feeling any more guilty. He lifted your foot ever so gently, to access the injury. You winced, swatting his hands away. </p><p>“Fun’s over. Let’s get you home,” Stan scooped you up in his arms, mindful of your injury. You were close enough to the edge of the ice that he could make it to the car without slipping. He had removed his skates and now worked on yours, wanting to make sure they were off before the swelling of your foot trapped you inside it. Walking to the car, he shifted you in his grasp to open the passenger side door, laying you down on the seat and buckling you in. Retrieving a loose plastic bag from the trunk of the car, he packed some snow in, tying it off.<br/>
As he returned to you, Stan gently placed the bag on your injured foot.</p><p>You drove off from the rink. He had asked you about the hospital, for which you declined. You weren’t in enough pain to need to be sent to the emergency room, and the only things they could do for you in the main hospital would be access the damage, tie some bandage around it, and hand you crutches. You could deal with that tomorrow. It was late, and you were tired. The apartment you lived in wasn’t far from the ice, thankfully. Stan was happy to get you back home. </p><p>-</p><p>Arriving at your apartment, Stan helped you inside, as well as bringing your belongings with. He had made a cozy little nest for you on your bed, propping up your foot with some pillows. Now a grotesque shade of purple, the swelling made your injury look like a grape. Stan, being the thorough caretaker he was towards you, made sure you were comfortable. Requesting that he pop the tape your parents had sent in the mail into the VHS player, he left to go retrieve a snack for you to munch on while you relaxed. </p><p>Through the tape, he could hear the sounds of people talking in the kitchen as he foraged, putting the pieces together that this was a video made specifically for you. Meanwhile, you sat on the bed, hugging a pillow as you watched your family wish you a happy birthday through the screen.</p><p>‘Birthday?’ Stan thought, stopping himself from what he was doing to listen more closely. “Great job Stan, you broke the poor girl on her birthday.” He muttered, now on a mission to find some specific items. Digging through the crowded refrigerator, he found a box of half eaten, grocery brand miniature cupcakes. They were your guilty pleasure. Less cupcake meant bigger serving size, at least, that was your logic. Stan searched amongst every drawer in your kitchen before successfully navigating a few small candle sticks. </p><p>Clips of your grandparents, parents, a few of your friends, and your baby brother, Henry, played on the tape. It made you feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have been made such a present. You laughed in amazement as your father appeared on the screen with Henry, demonstrating that he was now able to walk. Clutching the pillow close to your chest, you hid your smile as your family began to sing ‘happy birthday’, your mom approaching the screen with a slice of cake in her hands, a big ‘25’ candle sticking out of it. It was ridiculous but the gesture made you so happy.</p><p>“Happy Birthday to you.” Stan joined in the last verse with the tape as he walked towards you. A plate of mini cupcakes was in his hands, a lit candle sticking out out the center. Laughing at his horrendous singing voice, you plugged your ears to tease him. </p><p>“Go on, make a wish-” He smiled, holding the small flame in front of you.<br/>
Closing your eyes, you extinguished the candle. Just as you did, your family began clapping, almost as if they were right there with you. The audio had matched up perfectly to this moment. Looking up towards the tape, you saw your family smiling at the camera, your new friend standing beside the television. It made your heart swell a little bit, seeing the two worlds together. </p><p>“We love you!” Came the voices from the tape. You watched as your mother raised your baby brother's arm, shaking it to mimic a wave. Lifting your hand, you waved back. The recording ended abruptly as an episode of “Buddies” came on. You had forgotten your dad put it on there. </p><p>“You never told me it was your birthday. I would’ve gone easier on you at the ice rink,” Stan chuckled as he came to you to grab a cupcake, removing the wrapper and plopping it in his mouth.</p><p>“I guess it never came up in conversation,” You responded with a shrug, grinning widely at him. Taking a cupcake for yourself, you took a bite, patting the edge of your bed for him to come sit. </p><p>“Are you sure that’s alright?” Stan didn’t want to cross any boundaries with you.</p><p>Nodding your head, he walked over, sitting on the side of your bed to enjoy the show with you. </p><p>“I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything.”</p><p>“Oh, you did,” You replied, smiling at his remark. “You gave me a wonderful evening. I’ve even got a souvenir to prove it.” You chuckled, lifting your leg slowly to showcase your horrendously large foot. </p><p>“Well, I’ll make it up to you.” Stan laughed, placing his hand lightly on your leg, giving it a pat. “You need something, you let me know, alright? I don’t want you walkin’ on that foot.”</p><p>You appreciated his care greatly, smiling over at him. He was gazing back at you, a serious expression on his face. You had taken him as someone who was quick to throw jokes around but this was something he seemed earnest about. You felt your face warm up. He cared about you and your safety, and you could tell he truly felt bad about what had happened. </p><p>“I will.”</p><p>“Good. I’ll be coming every now and then to check in on you, it gives me an excuse to come see you. In fact, I’m taking you to the doctor’s tomorrow.”</p><p>The two of you settled in beside each other as you watched the remainder of the episode, finishing off the last of the cupcakes. Stan made sure you were comfortable, your foot elevated. Gathering some bandage tape, he had wrapped your injury, tight. You were sad as the night came to an end. </p><p>“Alright, kid, I gotta go home. Are you going to be okay?” He asked, looking at your foot before pulling the blanket up and over you on the bed. You admired his caring nature, he didn’t have to do any of this, it seemed like he wanted to. </p><p>“I’ll see you in the morning to take you to the doctor’s. Promise me you won’t walk on it. Hobble if you need anything.” Looking around the room, Stan retrieved a household broom that rested against the wall. “Here, use this to help you get around.”</p><p>You laughed gently, smiling up at him. Making his way towards the door, you watched as he turned around, leaving you with a wave. “Goodnight, Reader.”</p><p>“Goodnight Stan.”</p><p>The door shut behind him, and you laid in bed, running over everything that happened. A wide smile appeared on your lips as your eyelids fluttered shut. </p><p>‘What an evening.’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. "But her aim is gettin' better"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Several weeks had passed between you and Stan’s explosive encounter. You hadn’t seen him or the kids at all lately, and to be truthful, you hated it. Even if the two of you bickered every now and then, it was enough to know at the end of the day that you were able to work your issues out amongst each other. Why was this the exception? Why weren’t you able to compromise this time? Oh well, the past was behind you now. For all you cared, you just wanted to take it day by day.</p><p>You had picked up some side work, helping to pay rent and chip in on the bills as a friend generously extended room and board in their home for you. It was still unclear why Stan had decided to immediately terminate your stay in the shack, especially when it was just as much your home too. Who gave him the authority to make the rules and leave you to the world’s mercy? You were frustrated in what he had done, to say the least.</p><p>The individual who kindly provided you with temporary lodging was a companion you had grown up alongside in your former young adult years. The two of you never had the opportunity to grow close, Stan and you joining her and her ‘then’ boyfriend on the occasional double date. However, this gracious deed spoke volumes to you about the type of person she was. She was married and had a few kids that were grown now, attending school out of the state. She had put you in one of their rooms while they were away. </p><p>It was comforting to have felt adopted by a few friends as you worked to get back on your feet. That wasn’t to say it was easy. You went through your days feeling drained, like there was nothing worthwhile to look forward to anymore. You couldn’t rid the argument you and Stan had, blindly fighting each other for, what? Pride? To say, “I’m right?” It seemed that growing old had clouded the both of your judgment. This was a mutual effort, both of you were to blame. If there was any mending the relationship, each party had to accept that.</p><p>You couldn’t help but ponder how Stan was handling this new change.</p><p>If only you could see him now. </p><p>Tours were still held daily, however, Stan was beginning to lose his game along the way. That confident, entertaining, and witty demeanor he lured patrons in was dissipating fast. He didn’t care to be charismatic, it was too exhausting for him. Anyone could tell something was wrong, except Stan, he tried to numb his emotions through television and drinking his weight in soda. He was attempting the dangerous task of convincing himself into believing he was alright. Even the world’s most infamous con man couldn’t con his mind into accepting he hadn’t made a grave mistake in letting you slip away. </p><p>__________</p><p>“Are you ready for the ultimate challenge?” </p><p>Mabels’ chipper voice rang out in the breakfast nook as she raised her syrup bottle in the air.</p><p>“I’m always ready,” Dipper replied as he clutched another bottle beside its opponent.</p><p>“Then you know what this means-”</p><p>“Syrup Race!”</p><p>The two sang in unison before tossing their heads back, their tongues reaching out to catch any syrup that fell. </p><p>“Yes! I won!” Mabel sputtered through coughs as she leaned into the table, slamming her fist against her chest. </p><p>“Good morning knuckleheads! You two know what day it is?” Stan trudged into the room, gripping a newspaper.</p><p>“Happy Anniversary?” Dipper asked, uncertain.</p><p>“Mazel Tov!”</p><p>With the newspaper in his hand, Stan thwacked Dipper’s hat, causing it to fall over his eyes.</p><p>“It’s family fun day, genius. We’re cuttin’ off work and having one of those, yunno-,” Stan grabbed a carton of milk from the fridge, sniffing it’s contents. “...bonding type deals.”</p><p>Dipper and Mabel exchanged an apprehensive look as they thought back on the last time Stan had proposed a “Family bonding” activity. A shudder traveled down Mabel’s back. Turning around, he noticed their lack of excitement. With a chuckle, he sauntered over to reassure them that this time the authorities would not be joining in on the fun. </p><p>“Alright, maybe I haven’t been the best summer caretaker, but I swear, today we’re gonna have some real family fun. Now, who wants to put on some blindfolds and get into my car?”</p><p>The twins cheered as they threw their hands up above them in elation for this mystery activity.</p><p>_________</p><p>Chaos ensued as the red Station wagon sped down the road towards the lake. Stan recklessly leaned over to fiddle with the radio, completely removing his sight from the road. As the car hit several bumps along the way, the kids raised in their seats, heads skimming the top of the roof. </p><p>“Darn radio!” Stan cursed, one hand on the wheel and the other smashing the stereo system to try and revive the spotty transmission. </p><p>Dipper and Mabel sat in the back seat, blindfolds tied around their heads. Mabel couldn’t be happier as she hummed to herself, swinging her legs over the cushioned seat. She turned her head to look out the window, though she couldn’t make out anything through the cloth. Dipper, however, looked like he was on the verge of an early childhood panic attack. </p><p>“Grunkle Stan? Are you wearing a blindfold?” He asked sarcastically, gripping onto the seat to tether himself down.</p><p>“No, but with these cataracts I might as well be. What’s that, a woodpecker?” </p><p>Stan squinted his eyes as he attempted to decipher the shapes of the forest. The trio went bursting through a roadside fence, indicating a cliff. Mabel and Dipper yelled in panic, grasping onto each other as the Station wagon burst through the foliage and got back on the service road. Stan nearly ran an unfortunate family off the road. </p><p>“Oh, guess not.” He replied with a chuckle, unphased by the damage that could have potentially been. </p><p>Dipper was trembling now, his shoulders flinched as the car they had almost hit laid on their horn. Reaching up, he attempted to take his blindfold off, only to have a large hand cover his eyes back up. </p><p>“Relax kid, I won’t let anything happen to ya’. You’re safe with your ol’ Grunkle.” </p><p>No matter how convincing Stan seemed as he said that, it didn’t soothe the boy’s nerves. </p><p>_______</p><p>“We’re gonna make a quick stop.”</p><p>The car came to a screeching stop as Stan parked in front of the store. He dragged the kids along with him and insisted they keep their blindfolds on. Stan led the herd as he walked towards the door, the twins behind him with their arms out as they tried to navigate their way, blindly. The term, “Blind leading the blind,” could best be utilized for this situation. Patrons stared at him in disbelief as he seemed to be oblivious to the children’s safety, a woman came to help them towards the store so they didn’t stumble their way in front of a car. </p><p>Today, ironically enough, you had gone out to run errands, It was the least you could do for your friend while she was stuck at work. You had a list of items you were there to get, pushing the shopping cart in front of you as you scanned the shelves. </p><p>As you were reaching for a can of spaghetti sauce on the top shelf, you felt a hand make contact with your hip. Surprised, you looked down to discover a familiar face. </p><p>“Mabel?”</p><p>Mabel reached out with her hands, using her ‘heightened senses’ to identify the stranger.</p><p>“Auntie Reader?” She asked, her hands tugging and smooshing the skin of your cheeks together. An exuberant smile grew as she threw her arms around you.</p><p>“Darling girl, why are you wearing a blindfold?” You had kneeled to her level, removing the cloth from around her eyes. </p><p>Squinting as she adjusted to the new change in ambience lighting, she smiled. You were delighted to see her, it was wonderful to be able to embrace your niece.</p><p>“Today’s family fun day, and Grunkle Stan wanted to surprise us.”</p><p>“Oh I see,” You chuckled, suddenly weary that Stan must be roaming in the store as well. It was comical that he had been resolute on the twins being unaware of their destination, and nerve-wracking that he let them wander aimlessly through a big store without the necessity of sight. As insane as his methods may have seemed, you knew he could never, in good conscience, throw them in harm’s way. </p><p>“Hey, how was your trip?” Mabel asked in eager anticipation. </p><p>Oh. right. You told them you were leaving to travel somewhere. You couldn’t help but feel bad for not having an exciting response to her question. </p><p>“Oh, uh-”</p><p>Dipper saved the day as he rounded the corner of the aisle, calling out for his sister. He was blindfolded as well, his arms out in front of him to act as bumpers. </p><p>“Over here, follow the sound of my voice.”</p><p>Raising to your feet, you walked over to help the poor kid out. </p><p>“Hey, kid,” You spoke with a grin as you untied the blindfold from the back of his head. Dipper blinked a couple of times as the bright fluorescent lights of the store irritated him, looking up at you.</p><p>“Auntie Reader, you’re back! It’s great to see you.” Stepping in, he presented you with a hug. </p><p>What a lovely surprise to see these two.</p><p>Just as you were pulling away from embracing your nephew, the sound of someone clearing their throat entered in conversation. You froze. You weren’t ready to face the music, but you had to be mature about it. Straightening yourself up, your eyes met Stan. Instead of being greeted by a distasteful frown, you saw a small grin on his face. Was he? Was he happy to see you? Or just putting on a front for the kids.</p><p>“Reader.” He said quietly, scratching the back of his neck. You could see he was nervous, you didn’t blame him, it had been a long time since the two of you caught up. As much as you yearned to do so, now wasn’t the time to backtrack on your mistakes. The last thing you wanted was to involve the kids in your issues. </p><p>“Are you going to join us on our family fun day?” It was Mabel, looking up at you with a pleading grin as she tugged your jacket. </p><p>“Uh, kid, I think she’s-” Stan intercepted.</p><p>“Sure. I would love to spend some time with my favorite niece and nephew.” Your hand came to rest on Mabel’s frizzy hair, meddling with her mane. </p><p>‘Oh. So she only wants to spend time with the kids.’ He thought to himself, feeling his hope falter. Though he would never admit it, Stan ached for your desire to be around him. But how could you want him when he had demonstrated how much of a jerk he could be? He had kicked you out, pushed you away from the kids. He found this was just as detrimental to Dipper and Mabel as they consistently asked where you were and what happened? </p><p>As you reached for the Spaghetti sauce once more, Stan returned from his train of thought. He observed in stillness as you grunted, raising yourself up to the tip of your toes. The twins were ahead of the two of you, busy in conversation with one another. You and Stan were alone. He knew his colliding with you wasn’t by coincidence. This time, he wouldn’t let you get away. He would work to be a better man, someone worthy of your affection and one you were proud to be around. A plan would be formulated on how to mend this relationship. </p><p>And it started now.</p><p>“Let me get that for you.” You heard his deep, gravelly voice approach you from behind as he extended his arm to grab the bottle you wanted with ease. It was a small act, but you deemed it genuine. He was trying, even if it meant baby steps. </p><p>“Thank you.” You replied shyly, holding the bottle in your hands as your eyes met his in a prolonged stare.</p><p>“What’s up with them? It’s spaghetti sauce, not a million dollars.” Mabel whispered as she leaned in towards Dipper. The pair of twins watched the pair of you. </p><p>When the two of you noticed their intense googling, you cleared your throats in unison, Stan stiffening to itch his neck. </p><p>________</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, Okay, open ‘em up!”</p><p>Stan had instructed the three of you to hold your hands over your eyes, still wanting to preserve the secret of the location for “family fun day.” Having scratched the idea of the blindfolds, he resorted to a new method. The three of you eagerly removed your hands to take in your surroundings, but no one expected ‘this’ was where the festivities would take place. Stan stood proudly, spreading his arms to present you with the view, looking as though he had led you to the promised land. </p><p>“Ta-Da. It’s fishing season!”</p><p>“Fishing?” Mabel responded quizzically, scanning the scenery behind him as if there were something she was missing on.</p><p>“What are you playin’ at, old man?” </p><p>Although you didn’t mind the game of fishing, you had to side with the twins. They spent the majority of their days out in the woods, seeking adventure and mayhem. What about sitting in a boat, under the hot sun, stuck with their great uncle and aunt, having the real possibility to come home empty-handed, sounded exhilarating to them?</p><p>“You’re gonna love it! The whole town is here.”</p><p>Frankly, the “whole town” did not include a lot of civilians. Gravity Falls was put on the map for it’s “supernatural” stories, deeming it a tourist town. Monster tales were its main export, as you always liked to say. However, even in the summer season, not many people wanted to go fishing. </p><p>You took the time to spectate the scene on the water. Lazy Susan was holding a frying pan out, Toby taking a picture of a man with his catch of the day just before he fell in the water, and Mr. Corduroy, a big burly man, with his children cheering him on as he slammed a fish to the boat, punching it mercilessly. Not the brightest assortment of folks but hey, what more could you expect from this town?</p><p>Stan was persistent in attempting to sell the kids and you on the proposition that a day on the lake was the most ideal way to spend, “family fun day.” However, he was losing their interest more and more by the second. You found it thoughtful, he had put together some fishing gear for the twins, having sewn their names onto each cap. Once, he mentioned they were to expect to be out on the lake for ten hours with nothing but a joke book to keep them entertained, you could tell the two had checked out entirely. </p><p>________</p><p>“I seen it! I seen it again!” A cry from the dock quickly emerged as Old Man Mcgucket burst towards the group of you, tearing up and pushing over anything that was in his path. “The Gravity Falls Gobblewonker. Come quick before it scrabdoodles away!” The man broke out into some sort of “anxiety dance”? </p><p>“Awe, he’s doing a happy jig.” Mabel said. </p><p>“No! It’s a jig of grave danger.” The man grabbed Mabel by the shoulders, earning you and Stan to step towards her. This man was clearly unpredictable, you detested the sight of him having her in his grasp. As he let her go, you held the young girl against you.  </p><p>A young man, who you later put together was the son of Old Man Mcgucket, sprung from the bait house with a spray bottle in his hand. As he reprimanded his father, he shot water towards him. Your features turned to one of perplexity as you watched, keeping the kids close by. </p><p>“But I got proof this time, bygumpity. Behold! The Gobbledywonker is what done did it. He had a long neck like a g-raffe, and wrinkling skin like, like, this gentleman right here.” Mcgucket shot his finger in Stan’s direction, who was  currently mining for gold in his ear. Gross. And this was the man you laid your affections on? </p><p>The man, still attempting to demonstrate the existence of the monster, identified his whereabouts at a small island located in the center of the lake. Unfortunately, his attempts only elicited laughter from the crowd.</p><p>“Crazy ol’ kook!” You heard someone interlude through the cacophony of amusement.</p><p>________</p><p>“Well, that happened.” Stan chimed in disbelief for the events that had just unfolded. “Now, let’s untie this boat and get out on that lake.” </p><p>Stan began working at the knots that tethered the boat to the dock. It was a fairly beaten up rowboat, and you highly doubted he had been working to improve it at all. Kneeling down, you helped to undo the rope, though overhearing a conversation coming from Mabel and Dipper. </p><p>“Grunkle Stan!” </p><p>Here we go. You had heard that tone once or twice, usually it meant a proposition was on the way. Sure enough, Dipper approached his uncle, throwing an arm around the man’s neck like they were old friends.</p><p>“Change of plans. We’re taking that boat to Scuttlebutt Island and we are gonna find that Gobblewonker.”</p><p>“Monster Hunt!”</p><p> The twins chanted together. </p><p>“You dudes say something about a monster hunt?”</p><p>A boat with the words ‘S.S. Cool Dude’ plastered on the side accompanied you. Soos was smiling towards the group of you</p><p>“Dude you can totally use my boat for your monster hunt. It’s got a steering wheel, chairs, normal boat stuff.”</p><p>“Alright, Alright, let’s think this through. You kids could go waste your time on some epic monster-finding adventure, or you could spend the day learning how to tie knots and skewer worms with your great uncle Stan.” </p><p>Looks were exchanged back and forth between Soos and Stan as the kids debated their choices. A decision was reached quite quickly and the two began making their way towards Soos’ ship. </p><p>“Fine!” Stan grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest, quite offended in the conclusion they came to. You swore he became a child when things didn’t go his way. “Have fun catching nothing.” His tone was clouded with sarcasm, but by the look on his face, you could tell he felt defeated. Stan wanted to impress the twins while they were staying with him for the summer, he was just out of touch with what the kids like ‘these days’. </p><p>“Come with us, Reader!” Mabel called to you in her infamous chipper voice, waving you towards the boat.</p><p>The time came for you to make a decision as well with who you would spend the excursion with. On one hand, Mabel, Dipper, and Soos all chanted your name in unison, banging their fists against the edge of the boat. How could you deny your fans what they wanted? As you looked towards Stan, he sat with his shoulders slumped over, gazing up at you with a mock expression of sadness, pouting his lips. </p><p>“You’re such a ham. I’m gonna go with Soos and help supervise the kids.” You chuckled as you rolled your eyes, leaning your foot off the dock to cast his boat further away and send him off.</p><p>Stan grinned as you mocked him, taking delight in the joke. “Eh, you’d probably scare the fish off anyway,” He quipped, earning a shake off your head in response. </p><p>Stan placed his hand on the engine of the boat before speeding his way out towards the middle of the lake. Meanwhile, you had turned to join the crew. </p><p>________</p><p>While making your way closer to the island, Dipper revealed his tactical plan for catching a picture of the monster when they were to discover it. Between Soos and Mabel’s teasing of tossing disposable cameras overboard and arguing over who was the captain of the expedition, you could predict an outbreak approaching from poor Dipper. You didn’t expect you were bound to see anything out of the ordinary on this trip, but knowing Gravity falls the way you did, you knew to expect the unexpected. </p><p>A booming voice caught your attention and you immediately identified it as Stan. Turning around, you noticed he had shoved his way amidst an unfortunate couple that seemed to be spending the day with each other. </p><p>“Here’s a joke, ready? My ex-wife still misses me, but her aim is gettin’ better.”</p><p>He was well distanced from you and the boat, however, you could see the pride on his face as he turned to check on you. Stan raveled in the thought of your temperature rising due to humiliation. You wish you hadn’t heard that, huffing out. </p><p>“Alright, alright.” Dipper said with a shake of his head, holding his hands out to notion ease from his shipmates. Soos, Mabel, and you had found a seat amongst the crates of supplies, giving the self-proclaimed “First Co-Captain” the attention he desired. </p><p>“Any questions?”</p><p>You had politely raised your hand, warranting a smile and point from Dipper.</p><p>“Yes, Skipper Reader.”</p><p>“Why are we hunting for this Gobblewonker anyway? It could be really dangerous.” You had noticed the twins were discussing something important back on the dock, but decided not to get too invested. </p><p>“We’re going to get a picture of the monster to send into a photo contest-” Dipper replied.</p><p>“There’s a lot of prize money involved, a thousand bucks.” Mabel interrupted, excitedly. </p><p>A sigh was heard in Dipper’s direction, bringing your attention back to him. He had puffed out his chest, arms reaching behind his back as he started pacing back and forth between the three of you, as if he were about to lead his soldiers into battle.</p><p>“Auntie Reader is right, however, the task is dangerous. We may not all come back.”</p><p>Soos and Mabel gasped in unison, lifting their hands over their mouths in a comical way. You chuckled beneath your breath.</p><p>“Shoot dude, I don’t like the sound of that.” </p><p>“That’s why we must stay together in a group, there’s safety in numbers.”</p><p>You had to give it to Dipper, the kid knew what he was doing.</p><p>________</p><p>The boat cut through the ominous fog as it rolled in waves. This was strange. You could have sworn you hadn’t seen a cloud in the sky, previous. The duration of your sailing had only taken up about eight minutes, surely not enough time for a storm to settle in. Not to mention, it was the middle of June. </p><p>Oof!</p><p>The four of you stumbled forward as the ship came to an abrupt and forced halt.</p><p>Carefully disembarking from the boat, you look around to take in the new location. Dipper led the group, holding a lantern in front of him to illuminate the path. You walked alongside him, Soos and Mabel bringing up the rear. </p><p>“Dude, check it out. Butt Island”</p><p>“Soos, you rapscallion.”</p><p>It was reassuring to hear the two as they goofed off behind you, Soos keeping Mabel well entertained as he covered his hand over the “Scuttle” in “ScuttleButt Island.”</p><p>A deep roar suddenly emerged around you.</p><p>“Maybe we should turn around.” You heard Mabel say, her tone echoing uncertainty as she hid behind Soos. Bringing your attention to her, you offered a reassuring smile.</p><p>“Mabel, why don’t you sing us a song? That oughta brighten things up.”</p><p>“Great idea! Hit it, Maestro.”</p><p>You observed as she shot Soos the finger guns, warranting him to initiate some ‘sick beats’.</p><p>“My name is Mabel, it rhymes with ‘Table’. It also rhymes with… uh, glable. It also rhymes with schmable.”</p><p>“Mabel, those aren’t words.” Dipper corrected his sister, annoyed but overall entertained. </p><p>“How ‘bout gable? Or fable?” You threw suggestions her way, yearning to participate in her game. </p><p>“Or unstable.” Dipper teased.</p><p>The girl huffed at his quip, making her way towards him to give Dipper a friendly punch on the side of the arm.</p><p>As the twins shared in a moment of laughter, the roar made its existence known again. By the increased intensity this time, you and your shipmates were dangerously close. It became apparent to you that you were growing anxious. All this time, you had been suppressing the childish sensation of fear. The truth was, you had lived in Gravity Falls long enough to become aware of the mysterious anomalies that shared the land with you. If you were to actually encounter this beast, well, you were inclined to say it wouldn’t shock you. </p><p>This time, both of the twins led the group towards the sound. Soos and you providing back up reinforcements if need be. A disposable camera was passed out to each member so the probability of snapping a picture was more likely. </p><p>The heavy fog began to dissipate around a distinct shape of what looked to be the “Lochness Monster.” You braced for the worst as the group of you advanced bravely towards the creature, cameras in hand. Replacing the camera with a switchblade you carried around in your pocket, you had increased pace so as to throw yourself between the creature and the kids. You were obligated in keeping everyone safe, and you were well equipped to fight off the supernatural. </p><p>The beast hadn’t flinched as your group approached it, yelling. That’s odd. You would have guessed the creature to have hypersensitive hearing. Surely, it would have reacted by now.</p><p>The threat was quickly deemed neutral as the beast was- made of wood? It was composed of the fallen limbs from trees, constructed to trick the eye in thinking it was a monster. You couldn’t help but laugh at how nervous you had gotten.</p><p>“Ugh!” Dipper yelled in frustration as he kicked a mound of dirt beneath his shoe. He sunk to the ground, removing his hat as his head fell forward.</p><p>“Grunkle Stan was right, we did only come out here to catch nothing.” He mumbled with his head in his hands, picking up small stones and hurling them into the lake.</p><p>“Oh, Grunkle Stan doesn’t have to know. As far as he’s concerned, we did find that monster, and we had fun doing it.” You had approached him to join him at the edge of the lake, placing your hand on his head. Looking up, you noticed a few beavers appeared from the collection of logs. They made themselves busy with their construction. </p><p>The sounds of giggles were present as Soos and Mabel had begun a personal photoshoot amongst the small critters. At least someone was enjoying the adventure.</p><p>“Thanks, Auntie Reader,” Dipper responded with a downhearted grin.</p><p>Just as he cast another stone into the water, the lake began to tremble. The two of you rose to your feet as the island terrain vibrated. </p><p>“Woah, do you guys feel that?”</p><p>The group of you merged together as you watched a pool of bubbles manifest before your eyes, taking a few steps back to distance yourself from whatever was down there. A pair of menacing eyes, followed by an elongated scaly neck, surfaced from the murky water. The beast inspected the group of you, a deep grumble bellowing from it’s stomach. </p><p>“There it is! Yes, this is our chance! Guys?” </p><p>Dipper swung his head around as he didn’t hear a response. Everyone held their mouths agape, emotions ranging from amazement to dread. The only one excited about this moment was the boy.</p><p>“What’s wrong with you guys?”</p><p>“Kid? It’s time to go.” You responded quietly so as to not cause the beast to feel threatened. Keeping your eyes up towards the creature, you slowly extended your arm to Dipper, pulling him in your direction. He backed away in protest. </p><p>“No! I’m getting that picture!” He stammered stubbornly, turning back around to raise the camera. </p><p>The beast let out a jarring screech, causing you to tremble in its wake. A horrifyingly sharp array of teeth were displayed as the monster did so. You could see Dipper was frozen in shock, it took everything in you not to be as well as you reached out for him. This time, you grabbed onto his hand, pulling him forcefully along with you as you sprinted away. Mabel and Soos were far ahead of the two of you. You scrambled to get back to the boat as quickly as possible, keeping the boy in your grasp as he attempted to turn and get a snap of the beast. Trees tumbled and fell in your wake as the giant fish was gaining on you, for which you had to be agile and avoid the obstacles. Another thunderous roar called after you.</p><p>As the group of you approached the boat, both you and Soos helped get the twins in before hopping over the edge in a rushed frenzy. No one had been able to catch their breath, still focused on the task at hand. Soos raced to the wheel as you clutched onto the railing, unable to tear your eyes from the monstrosity. </p><p>“Let’s get out of here, dudes.”</p><p>You sped off, evading whatever petrifying fate the monster had in store for you. Dipper was still dead set on completing his task to catch a snapshot. However, as the beast thrashed it’s body through the water, causing the boat to lift and bounce in its aftermath, the camera escaped Dipper’s grasp. </p><p>“Watch out for the beavers!” </p><p>You heard someone cry, unable to identify who it was in the moment of panic. Soos veered out of the way, just barely. As he skimmed against the small creature's lodge, a few of them fell on board. The beavers clutched to both Dipper and Soos, bringing a shriek from the duo. Mabel quickly and without hesitation, scrambled to take the wheel as you were busy assisting with the beaver situation. </p><p>Frantically driving the boat in any direction that led you away from the beast, Mabel accidentally led the monster right through the area of fisher’s. Screams joined in with your own as the wake of your boat washed over the innocent citizens who were only trying to enjoy their time out on the lake. </p><p>Pursuing an immediate turn, everyone braced themselves as Mabel made her way right towards the falls, a dead end, with no sign of stopping. You could see the headline now, ‘A group of four found brutally shipwrecked by the falls in search of a monster.’ There was no time now for anything but to close your eyes and brace for impact, a scream escaping your lips as you tensed up. The option of jumping overboard was present, but you were more fearful of being chomped alive by whatever was chasing you in the water.<br/>
“Hold on!” Mabel cried back towards the group, just before breaking through the waterfall. The boat had wedged itself straight into a rock on the other side, however, the momentum in which you had been traveling sent you over. You fell onto the ground with a thud. Sitting up quickly with a groan, you scanned the cave to access the health of the others. </p><p>There was no time to react and process the events as the beast came bursting through the falls, unable to move between the opening. This rendered it vulnerable. Rapid inhales were produced from all of you as you sat in bewilderment. </p><p>“Is everyone alright?” You asked in concern, breathing out in relief as you heard a positive response from everyone. It was a miracle this didn’t go horribly wrong as you directed your attention to the beast, it’s head thrashing in the water as it had seemed to give up on the fight. </p><p>“It’s stuck!” Mabel cheered as she threw her hands up in victory, the rest of the group joined in. You couldn’t help but laugh from the adrenaline kick you had just endured. </p><p>After a moment to gather yourself, you watched wearily as Dipper began to approach the monster with a camera. This kid had grit and was persistent, you had to give him that. </p><p>As the beast continued to fight about in the wedge, a piece of stone fell on top of it’s head. Sparks soared in every which direction, the sound of electric whirrs filling the room as the heavy rock made contact with it. Huh? </p><p>The three of you gathered together as Dipper neared the creature. Stepping onto its fin, he reached out his hand and knocked against the scaly flesh. It sounded like metal, and hollow as well. Befuddled, he climbed up onto the beast and disappeared for a moment. </p><p>“Hey guys, I found something.” His head popped out from on top, waving his arm for the group to come and accompany him. </p><p>Making your way to the top of the metallic contraption, you were surprised to find a hatch. This adventure just keeps becoming more strange. As Dipper began loosening the hatch door, a cloud of steam hissed from around it. </p><p>The four of you were utterly surprised with what you found next. </p><p>“You?”</p><p>Old man Mcgucket sat directly in the belly of the beast, a board of switches and controls around him. He was muttering his typical gibberish as he watched the screens in front of him before frantically looking up towards you. </p><p>You couldn’t believe it. It was as if you were trapped in one of those old mystery programs on television where the gang of detectives comes to discover the ‘monster’ was the person they least expected to be. </p><p>As the old man explained his reasoning behind building the aquatic monster, mentioning his strained relationship with his son, you exchanged a glance at Soos. You wanted to make sure you weren’t the only one who thought this man was certifiably insane, and possibly a danger to Gravity Falls. Soos discreetly raised a finger to his forehead, spinning small circles as to indicate, ‘I know.’ </p><p>You and the rest of the group managed to slip away as the man delved into his other scientific accomplishments such as a ‘homicidal pterodactyl-tron,’ and an ‘eighty ton shame-bot.’ </p><p>________</p><p>“Say Cheese,” The twins called out to Grunkle Stan as you pulled beside his boat.</p><p>You had caught him as he was sailing back to the dock, however, the boat was moving by the push and pull of the wake. With his hands having previously been holding his face up, the man looked miserable.</p><p>“Huh? I thought you guys were out playing spin the bottle with Soos and your Aunt.”</p><p>“Well, we were out searching for a dinosaur, but then we realized the only dinosaur we want to spend time with is you.” </p><p>Stan crossed his arms in uncertainty.</p><p>“Hey, it’s still light out. You wanna come aboard and join us for some fishing? These kids still need to learn how to tie knots and skewer worms. Who better to teach them then their Grunkle?”</p><p>Your offer brought a genuine smile to Stan’s face, though he hid it from you. This was something he had longed to hear all day. It had been a rough day for him, and you couldn’t help but share in the guilt for having pitched in to his rejection. The man’s arms relaxed back to his side as he looked at you. You had outstretched your hand as well as Soos, as he took it in his own, climbing on board the ‘S.S. Cool Dude.’</p><p>Stan was taken back as the four of you rushed in to envelope him in your embrace. He chuckled. The man looked like he was about to cry. </p><p>________</p><p>The rest of the evening was spent in laughter. Stan had delivered on his promise to teach the children his world-famous fishing techniques. Mabel was your personal photographer as she went around capturing some of the finest moments, including Dipper’s big catch, Stan with his arm around the kid, holding a thumbs up. </p><p>“Grunkle Stan, Auntie Reader, get together for a picture.”</p><p>You drew your attention to Mabel as she held up the camera, motioning towards you and Stan. With a glance between the two of you, he offered you a small grin, for which you mirrored him. Getting together, just as she had requested.</p><p>Mabel positioned the two of you just right so the view of the falls rested behind your shoulder. A sense of uncertainty crept up on you as you felt Stan’s hand snake around your waist. You glanced down on it, not knowing how to feel in that moment. You heard a gruff murmur.</p><p>“Is this alright?” He asked, wanting to be respectful of you.</p><p>You nodded, how could you say no to this? You missed his touch, his voice. </p><p>Just before Mabel snapped the picture, Soos and Dipper ran up behind you with a devious plan to photobomb. Pouting their lips, they held their hands together to make two pairs of hearts, one over your head and the other over Stan’s. </p><p>“Wha- Hey!” Stan gave out a bellowed laugh as he caught sight of what the two were doing, grabbing hold of Dipper, he rubbed his knuckles into the kid’s head. </p><p>“Soos, your pole! Something’s bitin’ it!” You called his attention, pointing excitedly towards his fishing rod that leaned against the side of the ship. </p><p>The group of you rushed over to gander at his catch. The edge of the rod bent as he struggled to pull back, grunting. </p><p>“All hands on deck. We gotta big one.” Stan ordered, gleefully. </p><p>You all followed his orders as you lined up behind Soos, each grabbing onto the person in front and pulling back. Unfortunately, Soos lost hold of the fishing rod, losing it to the lake. The collective was thrown back into a cluster of each other. Everyone burst out into a fit of laughter. </p><p>You exchanged a look with Stan through happy giggles. You were greeted back with a warm smile, laughing himself at the hilarity of the event. He rested his hand over yours. </p><p>What a day.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. May I have this Dance? {Flashback}</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just a "small" fluff piece while I recover from a bad case of Writer's Block.</p><p>The spotify playlist is up now, go check it out <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RZGVVewspYNQbXUmeupoK">here</a> . It's one song per chapter. </p><p>I hope you enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The snow threatened to give way as you trudged through it. Your sneakers were becoming drenched, you could hardly sense your toes anymore, your fingers feeling as though they were being pricked with sharp needles. Unable to keep yourself leveled with the ground as your muscles and joints were experiencing stiffness. You stumbled into a mound of ice, falling to your knees. A visible cloud escaped your lips as you groaned in frustration. Fastening your coat tighter around your frame, you resumed pushing on.</p><p>It had been two months since you went skating with Stanely and endured your accident. By this time, the swelling and bruising in your foot had gone down entirely. It had registered itself to be only a sprain. It was prescribed that you still use gentle pressure on your foot if you’re to go anywhere. You imagined how the doctor would have a conniption if they were to see you now.</p>
<hr/><p>One might notice that you were not appropriately dressed for the occasion, nor prepared to venture in the below freezing climate with light winds working against you. You were dressed for a date, one in which you were to go dancing. The plan wasn’t to end the day trekking through the unforgiving winter weather, but said date never made an appearance. The town’s night life was beginning to die down, shops and restaurants having closed their doors to the public. You were left with very limited choices.</p><p>With no car and the public transit system having made its final rounds, you were forced to make your way on foot. You had attempted to catch the attention of the occasional vehicle that drove past, but to no avail, and the individuals you had dialed up through the public phone never answered. Beginning to give up, you decided to find your apartment on your own, straying further and further away from it.</p><p>Having lived in Gravity Falls for some time, you had only yourself to blame for not paying better attention to your commute. Your apartment complex wasn’t on a main service road. It was amongst the twist and turns of backroads. With eight inches of snow on the ground already, you deemed it impossible to find your way back. Not to mention you would be painfully frozen by the time you did.</p>
<hr/><p>Sensation in your limbs was fading rapidly, a sure tell sign that you were on your way to frostbite. You needed to get to shelter, and quickly. If it weren’t for the bitter pain you were experiencing, you might have delighted in the winter wonderland.</p><p>You lifted your exposed hands to check the status, they had transformed from a hue of red to one of blue. This wasn’t a comforting sight. It had been a while since you left the restaurant where you were supposed to meet your date. Attempting to take your mind off the agonizing numbness of the cold, you thought about the reasons why your date never showed.</p><p>‘Maybe they were too nice to say no.’</p><p>‘Stop. You’re only going to make yourself more miserable.’</p><p>The sound of an approaching car made its presence known, snow crunching under the weight of the tires as it drove. You had made sure to try and remain close to the road, however, in the late hour it was, cars were no longer passing by.</p><p>The thought of catching the driver’s attention was prevalent in your head, though you knew they wouldn’t stop for you. No one had. So you decided to preserve your energy and just continue on.</p><p>The car passed you by slowly, careful as snow blanketed the road, often hiding ice beneath. Just as the vehicle made its way ahead of you, your foot slipped on a patch of ice. Tumbling to your side, you held your hands out to catch your fall, feeling the skin of your palms scrape and burn. You hissed through your teeth, your eyes clenched shut.</p><p>White tail lights showed bright against your face as the driver had witnessed the fall through their rear view mirror. You had opened your eyes to see the vehicle reverse and stop beside you, your gaze on the tire as you remained on your side, too exhausted to move. Normally, the thought of a stranger approaching you alone in the forest would have made you paranoid. You were relieved to say the least.</p><p>The driver’s side door was closed shut, and you watched as a pair of boots proceeded towards the bank where you laid. You had wrapped your coat around you, pulling your legs against your chest to attempt and preserve any body heat you had left.</p><p>The stranger had now come into view as they laid a hand on your trembling shoulder. Ears buzzing from the frost, you were unable to hear them clearly. Turning your attention towards the individual who offered you their assistance, your eyes grew wide.</p><p>“S-Stanley?” Through trembling teeth, your voice came out sounding more winded then you had thought.</p><p>The man bore an uncanny resemblance to Stanley as you tried to make out his features through the dark of night. The lights of the car illuminated the side of his face.</p><p>A few words were spoken on his behalf as you were slowly brought to your feet. Your muscles protested over the weight of his arms as he helped you to the vehicle. It was made known that the man wasn’t Stanely but his twin brother, Stanford. You had heard of him but were never formally introduced.</p>
<hr/><p>The car heaters had slightly assisted in the thawing process, for this, you were beyond grateful. You had mentioned the name of the apartment complex you inhabited but Stanford had insisted he take you back to his home for your medical aide as it wasn’t far at all. Along the way, he had added that any friend of Stanley’s was a friend of his. You couldn’t turn the kind offer down, and it would be nice to see your friend again.</p><p>“It’s just up the street here.” He told you with a small smile.</p><p>Not too long after, he pulled the vehicle in front of a warm looking cabin. Peering out the front window, you took in it’s cozy appearance. The cabin was surrounded by a snowy glen, smoke rose from the chimney, light poured out from the windows. You swore you had seen this before on a postcard.</p><p>“Alright, let’s get you inside,” Stanford invited as he offered his help again. It was evident to you that he was coming home from running errands when he found you, plastic bags were littered amongst his grasp.</p><p>Stubbornly, you politely declined his offer and made your way to the house yourself. Stanford walked close beside you at the ready, aware that you still may be experiencing stiffness and exhaustion in your muscles. You were. It was difficult just to get up the small steps of the porch, but you were prideful to a fault.</p><p>Pain was prominent in your fingers as you attempted to curl them around the doorknob, however, you did. Making your way inside, you stopped for a moment to bask in the warmth, rubbing your frigid hands together to try and regain feeling in them.<br/>
Stanford had set the groceries down at the kitchen counter, digging through its contents to unload the cold items first.</p><p>“Hey, I never thanked you for helping me. If you hadn’t stopped, I don’t know what I would’ve done.” You turned to look at him with a grateful smile.</p><p>“Of course. There should be a fire going in the living room, why don’t you go and get comfortable? You may find Stanley. I’ll be there soon with some water. Can I make you a cup of tea? Hot chocolate?”</p><p>With a nod you responded, “Hot chocolate would be wonderful, thank you.”</p><p>A smile was exchanged between the two of you before he resumed unpacking the groceries.</p>
<hr/><p>As you made your way to the living room, you were able to hear the ominous sound of the television.</p><p>You peered into the room to see Stanely and suddenly, you were embarrassed that he would have to see you so beaten up and not at your best. The thought of what you went through and why you went through it was now a prevalent thought. Ford’s hospitality had distracted you from the pains and aches, but now you were ashamed that you not only got stood up on a date, but had to trek almost an hour through the chilling snow.</p><p>Having noticed an unfamiliar individual from the corner of his eye as you approached, Stan turned his head towards you.</p><p>“Reader?” He said in surprise to see you. Getting to his feet from the couch, he approached, scanning you as he tried to process what you had been through.</p><p>“What happened to you? Ya look awful.” He truly didn’t intend to upset you, but with everything that had happened, it wasn’t the first thing you wanted to hear from a friend.</p><p>He wasn’t wrong, however. Your appearance said you had been through the ringer. Your hair was stick-straight from the cold and wind. Lips, chapped and a pale blue. Your clothing was absolutely drenched from trudging and fighting against the snow, knees and palms scraped as memories left from the ice you fell on. Though you were happy to see Stan, your outward features screamed you were miserable.</p><p>“It’s great to see you too, Stan,” You replied with a huff as you made your way past him towards the fireplace to thaw yourself out a bit more.</p><p>Sitting down beside the fire to be as close to it’s warmth as possible, you held your hands out. Your fingers were still stiff, but you attempted to wiggle and straighten your digits.</p><p>“Hey, no. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-” Stanley stopped himself as he realized he was possibly digging himself into a hole.</p><p>“What happened?” His voice was soft as he prodded once again for an answer, concern etched in his tone.</p><p>“I fell,” You said simply with a shrug, bringing your knees closer to your chest as you rested your head down on them.</p><p>Feeling was slowly returning to your fingers as you held them amongst the heat of the flames. Truthfully, you weren’t ready to tell your friend what had happened. It was humiliating.</p><p>Ford had appeared in the room with a pail of warm water, a rag, hydrogen peroxide to clean your scrapes, and bandage to mend you up. Setting them down, he went to retrieve your hot chocolate before patting a spot on the couch for you to come sit.</p><p>“Let’s get you cleaned up.” He said invitingly, shooting a smile your way.</p><p>Making your way to the couch, you took your seat, your muscles relaxing into the cushion. You took the mug of hot chocolate into your hands, taking a small sip. It was wonderful how the warmth of the mug felt. Stanley had begun to untie your shoes as you leaned back, this made you uncomfortable but you didn’t deny the help. What good were those shoes doing for you anymore, they certainly weren’t helping your feet. Your drenched overcoat had been replaced for a thick wool blanket. The fabric of your sneakers were destroyed, wet, as were your socks. Rolling up the tights you sported beneath the dress, you slowly moved your feet to soak in the warm water. Just as soon as they were submerged, you both winced and sighed in unison. The water wasn’t hot, but a lukewarm. You were adjusting back to a normal temperature. It was a rude awakening as sensation returned.</p><p>Ford held out a hand to you after having dosed the cloth with hydrogen peroxide. As you washed off the dried blood from your scrapes, you placed your hand in his with the palm facing upward. Gently, he pressed the rag to your cut, and you bit your lip in protest of the sudden sting. It hurt, but you would be caught dead before you whined and stammered in front of the two.</p><p>It didn’t take long before your lacerations were all mended and patched up, Ford having done a fine job. He left with the supplies, leaving you and Stan alone in the living room. An awkward silence fell amongst the two of you as you still felt ashamed.</p><p>“I think I’m gonna make myself some hot cocoa, too,” He spoke, scratching the stubble at his chin. As he rose to leave, you called quietly after him.</p><p>“Stan? If it’s not too much to ask, could I have something to eat?”</p><p>A smile appeared as he nodded his head.</p><p>“Sure, what do ya want?”</p><p>“Surprise me.”</p>
<hr/>
<hr/><p>Some time had passed, leaving you curled up on the couch underneath the blanket. You were on the brink of unconsciousness as he returned to the room, presenting you with a plate of nachos as he lowered the dish to your eyesight.</p><p>“I present to you, Mademoiselle, the Stan specialty-” You could see how proud he was, beaming over you. Raising his fingers to his lips, he pulled them back to demonstrate a ‘chef’s kiss.’</p><p>Immediately, your eyes lit up as they gazed upon the holy grail. Cheese was oozing over the tortilla chips, adorned with jalapenos, black beans, and ground beef. Sour cream and avocado was placed in various locations of the dish. You hadn’t realized how hungry you were until you could smell the delicious aroma of the food he had prepared for you and him.</p><p>This made you lean up from your relaxed position, your salivary glands acting up. Stanley chuckled as he gauged your reaction.</p><p>“Hungry, huh?”</p><p>You nodded as you took a chip in your hand, watching in amazement as the cheese dragged along with it. Placing your hand beneath the snack, you protected your lap from the wreckage that was about the ensue. As you took a bite, you rested your head back, savoring the snack.</p><p>“Is it good? Ya like it?” He asked with a grin, having taken a few bites himself.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p>
<hr/><p>The two of you sat on the couch, having finished and enjoyed the snack that was prepared. Stan had extended the offer that you stay a little longer, stating it would be wise not to drive you through the snow as the ice was often dangerous. You were happy to oblige.</p><p>Stan could have easily gotten you back home, but the truth was he didn’t want to. Not when he could tell there was something weighing on your mind. Knowing you had avoided his questions, he opted to just give you the space you needed. He figured when you were ready to talk, you would.</p><p>Between your full stomach and the heat of the cabin, you were zoning out on the program that played on the television, thankful for the relaxation. Hearing a gruff clearing of the throat, you snapped back into reality. You looked over towards Stanley as he sat across from you.</p><p>“I know that it’s none of my business,” He started, “but I just want to make sure everything’s alright-”</p><p>Stan was wary not to interrogate you to death, but he was concerned for your safety. It was evident. Some time had passed between then and now, allowing you to get comfortable and situated after the long evening. A soft smile crossed your lips as you looked down, ready to talk.</p><p>“To tell you the truth, I wasn’t planning on taking a stroll through the woods.” You laughed a bit as your statement seemed redundant, anyone could tell that.</p><p>“I was supposed to go dancing tonight with a date, but they never showed. It was stupid of me to wait on them for as long as I did, but honestly, I was looking forward to it. It’s been a long time since someone’s taken me out.”</p><p>You were expecting Stan to respond with a hardy laugh but were greeted with silence from him. How could he laugh at you? You had a bad night, he wasn’t cruel. You should have known that much about him.</p><p>You heard Stan stir from the couch as he rose from his spot, going to retrieve something. You waited patiently with your hands in your lap, looking down at your fingers as they were returning to a healthier shade. What was he up to?</p><p>A good while had passed before Stanley returned with a disc player in his hand. He had spruced up a bit from his comfortable loungewear. Hair combed back, sporting a nice outfit, he set the player down on the mantle of the fireplace. Had he dressed up, for you? You couldn’t grasp why he would do that. It was so thoughtful.</p><p>Opening up a plastic case, he produced a disc, popping it in the player. An old, slow tune began playing. You hadn’t heard it in a while.</p><p>Stan turned to you, offering his hand. You looked up towards him to see he was smiling at you and you couldn’t help but return the gesture. He was charming, you couldn’t deny that. As gruff as he sometimes seemed, you could tell he was soft underneath.</p><p>Placing your hand in his, you stood to join him.</p><p>“You know, it’s a cryin’ shame you got all dressed up for nothin’. I’m sorry you never got to dance tonight, but if you’ll have me, it’d be my pleasure to make it up to you.”</p><p>Stan led the both of you closer to the music before easing into a sway. With your hand in his, you felt his arm snake gently around your waist to pull you closer. He was testing the waters, studying your face to see what was acceptable and what was not. You didn’t protest, you enjoyed this. You enjoyed him.</p><p>You felt your heart swell in the moment as the two of you locked eyes. Stan’s pulse was racing faster than he knew what to do with it, though he seemed calm and collected on the exterior. Such a small gesture meant the world to you. He didn’t have to do any of this, he wanted to. Stanley wanted to give you the night you didn’t have, and like he said, he was honored to do so.</p><p>Moving to the soft tempo of the music, you hesitantly rested your head against his shoulder. It was prevalent to the both of you that you were falling, and you hoped for the moment to last. With one hand holding yours and the other cradling you against him, Stan laid his head against yours, eyes fluttering shut. This was the first time the two of you had been intimate like this, pushing the envelope between platonic and romantic. The last thing either of you wanted to do was rush anything, especially before discussing it. However, you were both lost in each other for the moment. Your minds going fuzzy.</p><p>As the song slowly began to fade out, the two of you pulled away from each other in unison. There was something strong growing between the two of you, though neither one knew what to do next. Your face was flushed, and Stan had grown a bit warmer himself. You were tangled in the man’s arms, and he had no desire to let you go.</p><p>Almost as if the two of you could read each other’s minds, your faces slowly leaned in closer. There were so many things he wanted to tell you, how you looked so stunning by the fires glow, how you made him feel at home. Likewise, you could tell him how charming he was, how he could make you laugh like no one else. Homesickness was no longer an issue around Stan. It was beginning to feel that it wasn’t a coincidence the two of you met in this small, boring town.</p><p>Your breathes had gone ragged in desire for one another, and you could feel his hands beginning to tremble as he raised them to your arms. The two of you shared in a frantic bliss.</p><p>“Reader, I would like to take your temperature just to make certain you haven’t caught something from the cold-”</p><p>Stanford had abruptly popped in with a small thermometer in his hand. Just as he had done so, his posture stiffened. The both of you turned your heads quickly, letting out the breath you held. Stanley loosened his grip on you, glaring something angry at his brother as to say, ‘Are you kidding me?’ Ford’s oblivious nature was quite apparent as he approached the both of you, unaware that he had just interrupted a moment.</p><p>The two of you were disappointed to have been walked in on, however, it was a kind gesture for him to check in on you, you supposed.</p><p>“This couldn’t have waited?” Stan grumbled to Ford.</p><p>“You don’t want her getting sick now, do you? She was out in the cold for a good while. If she has any symptoms, it’s best to take care of them immediately.”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess.” Stan replied nonchalantly.</p><p>You had placed the thermometer under your tongue, it was uncomfortable but would only last for a few seconds while it read your temperature.</p><p>“That should be good.” Ford said with a smile, instructing you to remove the thermometer. You happily obliged, reading the gauge.</p><p>“Well, you’re normal.” He chuckled. “Let me know if you start to feel out of the ordinary-”</p><p>With another grin, he retreated from the room, leaving the two of you to presume with your time together. You both shared in an uncomfortable laugh, uncertain of how to pick up where you left off. Could you? You were both so caught up in the moment, Ford’s sudden arrival had shocked you. It was made known to you that this wasn’t the most ideal place to get intimate with Stan.</p><p>“Stan, thank you for tonight. It meant more to me than you know,”</p><p>“Eh, of course,” He replied with a hesitant smile, nervous himself. “I think we may have to go dancing more often, you make a great partner.”</p><p>You felt your heart flutter once more hearing him say this. You would be thrilled to take him up on this offer.</p><p>“I’d love that.”</p><p>You had forgotten all about the previous date or the fact that you had almost transformed into an ice cube, looking for shelter. The torment you had experienced earlier that evening was all worth it if it meant you got to spend the rest of the evening dancing with him. You dared to claim you would go through it all again just to be in his arms. Goodness, that was cliche. How could you help yourself? The both of you were hopelessly addicted to this new sensation.</p><p>“Hey, it’s getting late. As much as I’d love to stay, I need to be heading home.”</p><p>You didn’t like saying this as much as Stanley hated to hear it. You were delighted in each other’s presence, and you didn’t know when you would be able to share time like this again. The two of you had conflicting schedules some days.</p><p>“Let me drive you home. I won’t sleep well knowing you’re out in the miserable cold.”</p><p>How could you turn him down?</p><p>You made your way to the door, tying your sneakers back on as well as sliding your arm’s through the coat sleeves. You were happy to know that your clothing had dried nicely.</p><p>Stanford sat at the table in the breakfast nook, looking up from his book with a smile.</p><p>“Have a good evening, Reader. It was nice to meet you.”</p><p>“You too,” You replied. “Thank you again for the help.”</p>
<hr/><p>Stan pulled the car into the lot of your apartment, putting the both of you in park. Silence was shared between the both of you as you tried to find the right words to exchange.</p><p>“Are you doin’ anythin’ tomorrow afternoon?” He asked. You looked over towards him, thinking to yourself for a moment.</p><p>“I don’t think so, why?”</p><p>“There’s somewhere I want to take you.”</p><p>The mystery of the location remained a secret as Stan insisted he wanted to surprise you. You were happy to clear anything your schedule may have contained, without a second thought.</p><p>“I’ll come pick you up around noon, be sure to dress warm this time.” He raised his eyebrows as he teased you, which you replied by punching his arm. The man jokingly winced as you did so, groaning as he pretended it hurt.</p><p>“I’m looking forward to whatever you got planned.”</p><p>Sharing in a smile with Stan, you leaned over in your seat to wrap your arms around him. It was awkward as there wasn’t much room for the two of you to situate but Stan gave you a tender squeeze, chuckling at your kindness.</p><p>“Now, go rest up. I think you earned it.”</p><p>Never before were you so elated about going to bed. Your body ached for rest from battling the weather earlier that evening. With a smile, you exited the car, waving your hand to send Stan off. He made sure you were able to get into your apartment before driving back to the cabin.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Old Lives and New Memories {Flashback}</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Awakening to the bright rays of morning trickling in through your window, you stirred in bed. Your eyelids fluttered open but tightened back up as you were abruptly reminded of your adventure through the snow. You opted to lay stagnant for a while until you were ready to face the day, curling up beneath the warm comforter of your bed.</p><p>A soft smile and hum appeared on your lips as the thought of your evening with Stanely appeared in your mind. You felt the rush of adrenaline once again, temperature rising from both embarrassment and exhilaration. You had forgotten how nauseating this sensation was, to be enamored with someone.</p><p>No. You truly felt ill.</p><p>The sun, shining through the curtains of your bedroom was irritating to your eyes, revealing a nasty pounding in your head. You rested your hand on your forehead, itching the fatigue from your eyes. It wasn’t until you pulled them away from your face that you noticed how moist and clammy they felt, how your whole figure felt this way. There was no rush to get out of bed as you didn’t want to strain or exert your energy over what was comfortable. The moment you stood up, you moved your fingers to pinch the bridge of your nose, followed by a groan. Pressure had built up in your nasal cavity, blocking your sinuses and making it difficult to breathe.</p><p>‘Not today. Please, not today.’ You had a “date”, or “hangout”, or whatever it was between you and Stanely.</p><p>You had assessed the sure tell symptoms of a cold, just as Stanford had predicted. There were a few hours to go between then and noon, when you were to be picked up. Maybe, you could remedy a few of the aches before then.</p>
<hr/><p>Rifling through the medicine cabinet in your bathroom, you produced a small bottle of over the counter painkillers. This could help with the headache and itchy throat. Stashing the capsules in the pocket of your pajama pants, you pushed up the faucet head of the sink. You cupped your hands to catch the water as it streamed in, pulling them back up to splash your face. The contrast of the cold water felt good to your heated skin. Taking a washcloth in hand, you dabbed your face dry. Not only did you feel worn out, you looked it too.</p><p>As you entered the kitchen, you scavenged through the fridge. Pulling out a carton of orange juice, you unscrewed the cap, slipped the painkillers in your mouth, and drank. You lived alone, so things like drinking straight from the source weren’t uncommon, nor was anyone around to care.</p><p>With a sigh, you leaned back against the counter, hoping the medication would settle in soon. The thought of breakfast had crossed your mind, however, the illness left you with a lack of an appetite.</p><p>You made your way over towards the small loveseat you had in the living room, planting yourself in front of the television. The time was demonstrated on the cable box as you turned it on, you had one or two hours to kill before Stanely would be there to pick you up. Surely, you could settle in for a bit while you watched some morning programs. With the remote in your hand, you flipped through the stations until you found something worth your while. It was a sitcom, an episode you had already seen, but could lounge to. You practically knew all of the words at this point, but still, you mouthed the lines. It was a strange past time, pretending you were a character in the show, but you had nothing better to do at the moment.</p><p>The episode hadn’t concluded before you were fast asleep, the painkillers often made you drowsy. If it weren’t for the shrill ringing of your house landline, Stanley would’ve arrived to a bedhead, pajama wearing, half awake Reader. You awoke with a startle, springing from your comfortable place on the loveseat.</p><p>“Oh,” You groaned as a hand fell to your head. Your headache had rudely re-introduced itself. Slowly, you picked up the phone, holding it to your ear. You produced a groggy, “Hello?”</p><p>“Hey Sunshine! Ya haven’t forgotten about our little trip today, have ya?” The ecstatic voice from the other end raised a soft smile from you. Maybe you didn’t feel too well, but you were still looking forward to spending the afternoon with him. The nickname was a cute touch, though you felt the furthest thing away from sunshine at the moment.</p><p>I’m sure you weren’t able to sleep at all last night knowing you get to spend time with THE Stan Pines.”</p><p>He seemed a bit more humorous than usual, dare you say, cocky. The first couple of times the two of you had seen each other, the man was timid. He seemed as though he were testing the boundaries of your personality and getting comfortable with you. His genuine self was beginning to come through, and you couldn’t deny it was cute.</p><p>“I haven’t forgotten. One question though, since you refuse to tell me where we’re going, what should I wear?”<br/>
“You girls and your outfits, just wear something warm.”</p><p>Yeah, he was feeling cocky alright.</p><p>“Excuse me? It was just a que-” You began to stammer, though a wide smile appeared on your face as you enjoyed the tease.</p><p>A friendly chuckle interrupted you through the other side of the line. Stanely was thoroughly enjoying this, and you could tell.</p><p>“Reader, Reader, I was messin’ with ya. Hey, I’ll be there in a half an hour. I’m looking forward to spending time with you today.”</p><p>“I am too, Stanley, I’ll see ya soon.”</p><p>Placing the phone back on its holster, you scurried to the shower. ‘A half an hour? How long was I out?’ Pajamas were flung from your figure as you entered the shower to wash up and get ready for the day. The steam that flooded the bathroom brought relief to the pressure built up in your sinuses, allowing you to breathe properly once again. You remained in the shower for a bit as you enjoyed it.</p>
<hr/><p>Rifling through the closet, you pushed aside a few pairs of jeans and long-sleeve shirts before deciding on the perfect pair. ‘Something warm,’ you thought to yourself. He must be taking you outside for the afternoon. ‘This will be perfect for your cold.’ You chuckled at yourself. You were willing to endure the risk.</p><p>As you were situating yourself in a thick winter coat, the doorbell rang, indicating your ‘date’ was here. ‘Stop thinking like that, you're only leading yourself into disappointment.’ Hastily, you made your way to the door, greeted by Stan who sported a friendly grin.</p><p>“Hey,” He spoke in a cool voice, hoisting up a plastic bag from his side to present it to you.</p><p>“Ford insisted I bring over some supplies for ya. He figured ya might’ve caught something nasty with how long you were out.”</p><p>You took the bag in your hands, opening it to peer at its contents. In the bag was a container of soup, homemade from what you could tell. Beside it, rested a box of night and day medication. This was an unexpected gesture from him, and it caught you off guard. Oh well, Stanford could have just been a caring person and didn’t want to see anyone suffering from illness. It was just a simple cold though, you were wary of the gifts. With a smile, you thanked him, bringing your elbow up to conceal a few coughs.</p><p>“I guess he was right,” Stanley prodded with a smirk as he entered through the doorway. “Ya feelin’ alright, Sunshine?”</p><p>There was that pet name again. You couldn’t tell what to think of it.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine. Nothing a little fresh air couldn’t fix.” You waved off his concern.</p><p>“You sure? ‘Cause we can always take a rain check.”</p><p>You were tired of your “all work, no play” lifestyle. The attraction of adventure awaited you, and you were not about to let a silly little cold get in your way. Setting down the soup and medication on your coffee table, you sauntered past Stanley with a smile.</p><p>“One hundred percent positive, let’s go!”</p>
<hr/><p>“Just a little bit further, that’s it, oh, watch your step.”</p><p>Branches flung into your face as Stanley led you through the thicket, the only thing guiding you was his grasp on your arm. Out of necessity, he required that you cover your eyes with your hands so as not to spoil the surprise. You could tell that he was a man who enjoyed a good mystery.</p><p>You stumbled as your foot was caught under the thick root of a tree, hidden beneath the snow. With a frustrated breath you moved your hands away from your eyes and held them out to ground yourself. Stanley had turned around quite quickly, hearing you struggle. He caught you against his chest, huffing in amusement.</p><p>“Thanks for the warning-” You said sarcastically, though grinning as you pushed away from him.</p><p>“Hey, no peeking.” He put your hands back up to cover your sight, warranting a laugh from you.</p><p>The two of you arrived at your destination.</p><p>“Alright, open up-”</p><p>Lowering your hands back down to your side, you took in your surroundings. Stanley had led you to the town’s water tower. This left you utterly confused.</p><p>“I-I don’t understand. The water tower-”</p><p>“Come on, you’ll see.”</p><p>Stan motioned his head toward the large metallic ladder that hung against the structure. What on earth was he planning? And what was going to happen once you got to the top. You didn’t know what to expect from the day, but this was the last thing on your mind. You stepped a bit closer to the ladder, placing your hand to grasp onto the bottom wrung. Looking up, you gauged its height.</p><p>“It’ll be okay, I’m right behind you.” He said in an encouraging tone as he placed a hand on the small of your back.</p><p>You were always open to a challenge, and even though this was an unexpected one, you were optimistic about what your friend had in mind. With a grunt, you pulled your weight up on the wrung, beginning your ascent. Stanley, as promised, was climbing just behind you. He threw in the occasional, ‘You okay up there?’ and the cheesy, ‘How’s the weather?’ He was checking in on you to make sure you were okay on the journey. This ladder was longer than you had thought, but you were able to see the top. Heights had never scared you, they thrilled you. The prospect that you were an adrenaline junkie was always one in question.</p><p>You had noticed that Stanely had been quiet for awhile now, having ceased in his snippy remarks. Looking down towards him as you came to a halt, you noticed he was becoming a bit more unhurried in his pace. He looked focused, nervous even as he clung flush against the ladder.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Now it was your turn to check in.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah-” He replied swiftly, not returning your gaze.</p><p>“You sure, because from the looks of it, I think you’re afraid of heights.” You teased him, sticking your tongue through your teeth so as to stifle a laugh.</p><p>“I ain't afraid of anything. And at any rate, it’s not the climb I look forward to, it’s the view.”</p><p>You had underestimated Stanely entirely, the view from the top of the water tower was breathtaking. Now you could appreciate why he had wanted to take you out here. It was brisk from the height you were at, but it was worth the chill.</p><p>Holding out your hand, you proposed to assist Stanely on his way up. He accepted your offer with a thankful grin, placing his hand in yours.</p><p>The two of you were standing against the railing of the tower, looking out amongst the trees that populated the surrounding mountains and valley before you. You had been focusing so much on the elements in front of you that you hadn’t noticed snow was beginning to fall in light quantities.</p><p>Stan took in the moment, turning to observe your reaction. He was pleasantly surprised at your excitement, watching as you leaned over the railing, rocking back and forth of your toes. The way the snow clung to your hair and eyelashes made his heart swell up in his chest, a wide smile appearing on him. He found he was becoming overwhelmed by you. Intoxicated.</p><p>Turning your head to face him, he stealthily removed his gaze, looking out amongst the view.</p><p>“Stan, it’s gorgeous-” You remarked with an elevated beam.</p><p>“Uh huh.” He was lost for words, hoping that you hadn’t just caught him ogling at you. Scratching the back of his neck, Stanely was leaning against the wood of the tower, both to lay low and because the height made him nauseous.</p><p>His mind was currently traveling a mile a minute as he contemplated what to do next. Never before had he found it difficult to talk with you, to share in a conversation. Was it because of these newfound feelings that you just seemed to be unapproachable? For now, he decided it best to tread lightly around you. There was no telling what you thought of him. He wasn’t ready to have a discussion about this yet, all though he knew it would happen eventually. Your relationship meant so much to him, he couldn’t put it in jeopardy.</p><p>Your coughing broke his train of thought, looking down to see you covering your mouth with the sleeve of your coat. Even up in the air, you still had to abide by your manners.</p><p>Stan came to join you as you sat , swinging your legs over the side of the tower ledge.</p><p>“Here,” Digging in his jacket pocket, he pulled out two cans of ‘Pitt’ soda, offering you one. “Maybe this will help with your itchy throat.”</p><p>The gesture was kind, and you accepted it gratefully. The both of you cracked open your soda’s in unison, a chorus of hisses filling the air. You were both greeted by a fountain of foam arising from the opening of the drink. Laughing, you held yours out over the ledge so the stream didn’t get on your lap. Stan had hastily brought his can to his lips, making certain not to waste a single drop. This caused you to chuckle once again.</p><p>“I’m thinking they got all shook up in your pocket, there.” You teased, rubbing your elbow into his arm.</p><p>“Now what gives you such a crazy idea?” He snickered, presenting a wink as he took another drink of soda.</p>
<hr/><p>“Stanley?”</p><p>“Hm?” He responded with a smile, turning his head to listen.</p><p>“What’s that?” Your finger was held in the direction of a massive and strange opening in the cliffs. It resembled something you had seen in a movie before, though you couldn’t put your finger on it. It was shaped like one of those flying saucers from the sci-fi films.</p><p>“Oh, uh, I’m not entirely sure.”</p><p>Well, that didn’t seem convincing. You thought it was worth a shot to ask. You figured he had been up here once or twice, as well as he had lived in the town longer than you had. Perhaps he knew, though he informed you otherwise.</p><p>“Not entirely sure, or is there something you're not telling me?” You teased, earning a chuckle from your friend.</p><p>“Heh. So, how’s your foot doing?”</p><p>It was obvious when Stanley became flustered. He would always act as though his face or neck had suddenly grown itchy, a nervous huff appearing in his voice. You decided to stop interrogating him with your questions. Perhaps he simply didn’t know. You could give him that.</p><p>“It’s healed quite nicely, I hardly feel any pain when I walk on it.” Holding out the leg of the foot you had broken, you smiled at him.</p><p>“That’s good.” He responded.</p><p>Something was on his mind, that you could clearly tell.</p><p>“It was nice to meet your brother yesterday, you two seem to get along well.” You started, looking over at him with a gentle smile. Stanely was looking towards the can in his hands, turning it around in his palms to fiddle with something.</p><p>A moment of quiet was exchanged before he huffed in mock amusement.</p><p>“I guess we’re just good at hiding, huh? To be honest with you, I can’t tell what he thinks of me most of the time.”</p><p>Stanley continued to look anywhere but you, fearing that you may be beginning to pity him. He didn't want the sympathy, for once he just desired for someone to lend him an ear. So much of his childhood and young adult years were spent seeking attention and approval. Stan still hadn’t quite figured you out, but he was willing to put his trust in you in hopes that you may be the rare individual who didn’t run away from him.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>Hesitation appeared on Stanely’s face as he prepared to share things he hadn’t shared with practically anyone. You could tell something was much deeper than he was leading it on to be.</p><p>“Y-you don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to.” You reassured him.</p><p>“Reader, I’m ready to talk about it. For the first time in ten years, someone’s given me the light of day to, well, be myself. Do you know how rare that is?”</p><p>You remained silent as you watched him, debating whether or not it would be acceptable to place your hand on his shoulder. Deciding against that as you wanted to give him space, Stan proceeded.</p><p>“We may be twin brothers, but we couldn’t be more different. Guess we just, grew apart.”</p><p>Crumbling the aluminum can in his grasp, Stanley tossed it over the ledge and into the forest. Typically, you hated the sight of someone littering onto such a beautiful earth, but you pardoned the man. There were worse ways of channeling frustration, you were eager to let him express.</p><p>“How so?” You encouraged him to continue, willing to sit and extend your company.</p><p>Stan took a deep inhale before beginning.</p><p>“From the earliest memory I have of us, we were the best of buds. There wasn’t a day where we weren’t out adventurin’ or solvin’ some mystery. We were a force to be reckoned with. We had always had our differences, but we shared an admiration for each other. I remember how bright he was, even as a kid. Our first grade teacher even approached us to tell him he was ‘gifted’. Heh, like a seven year old would know what to do with that news.”</p><p>You chuckled.</p><p>“Our friendship went on throughout high school. My brother truly excelled in academics, I don’t believe he ever got a grade lower than an A minus. Me? I couldn’t care less, school was never my thing. And sure, Ford’s nose was stuck in the books most days, but we still had time for our shenanigans. After classes were over, we would go and box at the ring. At the time, we were even workin’ together on a boat that we had promised to sail around the world in. Hunt for treasure, meet a few girls.”</p><p>He smiled softly, relishing in the memories of his childhood. You were enjoying listening to him.</p><p>“I guess things began to take a turn for the worst when Ford was offered a place at some prestigious school in California. I had been sittin’ outside the principal's office when they were talking. I still don’t understand why they had called us both in when they only wanted to speak with him, but I heard it all. I could hear the excitement in the principal’s voice. Our dad rarely showed pride in either of us, but he sure was pleased with my brother that day.”</p><p>Stan’s smile was slowly beginning to fade, letting his head fall.</p><p>“He had made this contraption in the science fair that was going to impress the college’s ambassadors, they came to our school to scout out the best of the best. Well, I had heard enough. What on earth was I supposed to do without my other half by me? Ford was the brains, and I was the brawns. We were supposed to take on the world together.”</p><p>Carefully, you allowed your hand to lay on his shoulder. He wasn’t unnerved by this, instead, he closed his eyes at the comfort you extended to him.</p><p>“You felt betrayed.” You replied, understanding what that must’ve been like.</p><p>“You have no idea. I tried to talk him out of it, tell him that he would be happier in New Jersey. I don’t know who I was trying to fool, he would take the offer in California. Ford was bound to move out of the dump we were in and pursue a better life. I guess I just wasn’t ready to grow up.<br/>
I made a mistake, Reader. I ain’t afraid to admit that. One night, I made my way through the gymnasium where the science fair was being held. I was emotionally charged, frustrated, and lost. I shouldn’t have come close to his project, but I did. I ruined his chances of going to that stuffy ol’ tech school. Well, it didn’t take long for him to figure out that I was the culprit. I was the one who hated the thought of him livin’ on the other side of the country, of course I would be the one that sabotaged his robot. He wasn’t too happy about it, and I don’t blame him for that. Dad kicked me out of the house one night, I can still remember him sayin’, ‘Yer brother was gonna be the ticket out of this dump. All you ever do is lie, and cheat, and ride on yer brother’s coat tails.’</p><p>Your hand still rested on his shoulder, caressing it. Stanely was spilling his guts to you, a brave thing when you could tell he took pride in being thick-skinned. You couldn’t discredit him for wanting to confide in someone. You felt honored he chose you.</p><p>“I’ll never forget the way Stanford looked at me as I was laying there on the sidewalk. He was ashamed of me. I tried to call out for him, hoping he would convince my pop to take me back, but he couldn’t.”</p><p>What words could you say to mend such tremendous pain like this? You couldn’t relate to the feeling of being forced out of your own home, left to the world’s mercy. However, you knew what it felt like to be alone, lost, and searching for a friend. All you were able to say now was,</p><p>“Stanley, I’m so sorry.”</p><p>He smiled softly, giving you some relief that this didn’t entirely tear him to pieces.</p><p>“Ah, it’s okay. All I can do now is move forward. I have to. Sixer and I have an alright relationship now.”</p><p>“Sixer?” You were quite confused as to who he was speaking of.</p><p>With a gentle chuckle, Stanley held up his hand and indicated a phantom sixth finger. You hadn’t taken note of this before, but thinking back to the time Stanford drove you to the cabin, you had a feeling something was a bit peculiar about his appearance.</p><p>You smirked, feeling bad for laughing before removing your grasp from his broad shoulder. His posture slouched as you did so, and he seemed disappointed you had retracted your touch from him.</p><p>“Anyway, where did you go from there?”</p><p>You were curious but not prodding on his story. You desired to learn more about him.</p><p>“What could I do? I was livin’ in my car for a good while, couch surfing off strangers when possible. Heck, I even lived at a motel in New Mexico for a few months, I couldn’t afford it, but I had to keep a roof over my head.”</p><p>“Were you working?” You inquired.</p><p>“Tryin’ to, at least. I was a self-made salesman for most of my early to mid-twenties. ‘StanCo. Enterprises’. Although the junk I was sellin’ wasn’t exactly top quality stuff. You would’ve gotten a kick from the idiots that invested in my brand.”</p><p>The two of you chuckled together, and you were happy to get his mind off of his tormented youth.</p><p>“And why’s that?”</p><p>“Well, first off, we got the ‘Shammie’, It was an invention of my own design, so I’m sure you can figure out how great that worked out. It was a household cloth designed to clean up any spill, stain, you name it. Ironically, it turned out to perform the exact opposite. The cheap dye I used to color the ‘Shammies’ would spread all over surfaces and objects when dosed in water. Then there was the ‘Rip-off’, bandages that were easy to, well, rip off. I had given them the StanCo. Guarantee that they wouldn’t leave ya with rashes, but as it turned out-”</p><p>“Oh no!” You cackled, placing your hands in front of your mouth. “So they were actually a ‘rip off’ of people’s money.”</p><p>“Heh, yeah.” Stan replied, chuckling himself. He was happy you found amusement in him, though he couldn’t deny he felt ashamed that someone like you thought his business plans were silly. Although he seemed to have bad luck in the advertisement game, it didn’t mean he was never trying.</p><p>As you continued to laugh, his smile softened to one of concentration, studying your features. Your laughter stirred something within him. It was perhaps one of the most joyful sounds he had heard in awhile, dare he say, his favorite sound. Stanley yearned to hear more of it.</p><p>“It sounds like your pitching of the products wasn’t bad at all, especially if you had so many clients. The issue was the products itself. I think you could find that a manufacturer would help greatly in those situations. The face of the product doesn't necessarily mean that they're the ones that made them.”</p><p>Stanley was impressed with your knowledge.</p><p>“What are you? Some kind of entrepreneur?”</p><p>“No, I never got that far. I did go to school for business, though. My dream was to work in advertisement, be a part of the creative side of the field and help with the pitches, slogans, even the artwork.”</p><p>“What stopped ya?” Stanley asked, curious of why you never continued to pursue your goal. You seemed so skilled in the subject.</p><p>“I guess, I just figured it wasn’t what I ultimately wanted to do. I was afraid I would waste my youth in some cubicle, working a 9-5 job. I felt like there was more to life than that.”</p><p>“What do ya mean, Sunshine?”</p><p>“Why do you call me that?” You finally asked, turning to face him. The pet name didn’t bother you, in fact, you were flattered. It was personal, something he had given to you himself.</p><p>“What, ‘Sunshine’? Oh, well uh-,” He stiffened, “Y-You’re just warm like the sun. You’re bright, you know, you lighten up this boring town. And no matter if the day is gloomy, you still shine in the midst of it.”</p><p>Stanely glanced over at you, and you had noticed a slight tint of pink forming around his cheeks. It was possible that this was just from the frigid weather, but it was so much more than that. He had just confessed something to you, something he had been holding onto for a while and was finally brave enough to release.</p><p>You returned a grin, looking away for a moment to busy yourself gazing towards your hands. He had noticed this, hastily trying to mend the discomfort he had caused, if there was any between the two of you.</p><p>“I can stop calling you that if ya w-”</p><p>“Please don’t,” You interrupted. “I like it.”</p><p>“So why did you move out here? I mean, no one’s exactly dyin’ to get into Gravity Falls. You have family, don’t ya? Were you scared to leave ‘em?”</p><p>“Of course, I was,” You said with a melancholy smile, looking over at him.</p><p>In the time the two of you sat up at the ledge of the water tower, the distance between you had grown smaller. Your shoulders now touched. Perhaps, the two of you were just cold and needed to preserve your warmth. Truthfully, you were drawn to each other, comfortable to be close.</p><p>“I was young, still am. I didn’t know what I was doing or what the future held for me. Sometimes, you have to listen to your gut. The longer I stayed in the city, the more alone I felt. It’s just like you were saying, you grew apart from your brother? For me, it was my friends. The people I had known all my life were becoming superficial and selfish jerks. I was burned a lot by a lot of people I would’ve called my friends long ago. I was bullied into believing that I had to fit some kind of norm to be worth anything. Nobody cared about anything but their own image. It made me sick to my stomach. I was becoming more miserable every day. I knew I had to leave. Even if that meant, leaving my family behind.<br/>
I never told ‘em the real reason I was leaving, I guess I was afraid.”</p><p>“Of what?” Stanley asked, concentrating deeply on you.</p><p>“I couldn’t have them feeling abandoned.”</p><p>Now it was his turn to return the comfort, placing his large hand on your back.</p><p>“I think they would’ve understood if you told ‘em. Your story isn’t theirs.”</p><p>There was so much truth to what Stanely had just told you, you had never stopped to think about this. The expectations that were set above you, although you wanted to make your parents proud by exceeding them, weren’t realistic to you. You had always been a free spirit. You found comfort in your friends words, feeling as though they set you free.</p><p>“Still, I lied. That’s a choice I have to live with.”</p><p>“What did you tell ‘em?”</p><p>You broke into a chuckle in disbelief of yourself. You were always proud of the good girl you were, never having dreamed of lying to your folks. Holding your head in the palms of your hands, you hid, before responding.</p><p>“I told them I was moving to Oregon, but they think I’m a few towns over at a university to finish out my degree.” You mumbled. “I’ve done a pretty good job at deceiving them, I even went as far as to set up a postal box in the town. It’s a stupid long drive to get there, especially in this season, but I still look forward to getting their letters.”</p><p>Stan chuckled, and you looked up towards him to see a mischievous grin.</p><p>“Sounds like we gotta little con-woman.” He teased, though roused by your dedicated attempts of keeping the secret.</p><p>“Oh no, don’t call it that, please.” You blushed, ashamed. The thought of tricking your parents into believing a lie made you uneasy, you detested that you were taking advantage of their trust. What was so hard about coming clean?</p><p>“I’m just messing with ya. But try to remember what I said, your story is going to be different than your family’s. Whatever expectations they had put over your head, they’re just gonna have to get over it. You’ll have to come clean eventually, and when you do, they may be a little mad, they are human after all. But they’ll learn to move on. They love ya right? Then there’s nothin’ they wouldn’t do for ya, that includes forgiveness.”</p><p>You could tell that Stanely’s hardship had taught him a few things along the way. He offered you an encouraging smile, patting your back gently. Although he didn’t have a supportive family of his own to speak of, he was willing to extend what he could to you. You appreciated his insight more than he could comprehend.</p><p>“Thank you, Stanley,” You smiled. “I don’t think it was a coincidence I moved here.”</p><p>The two of you exchanged a laugh, you were both enjoying each other’s company.</p><p>“I’m glad you did.”</p><p>Stanley had lightly grazed his hand over yours, shyly playing with the fabric of your glove. Your eyes were glued on each other again, and you realized how truly thankful you were to the universe to have ended up in someone like Stan’s, life. His thoughts weren’t too far from yours. Tracing the outline of your hand beneath your mitten. They were so tiny compared to his, delicate. You watched what he was doing, chuckling softly out of apprehensiveness, though you allowed him to continue.</p><p>“Stan?”</p><p>He hummed in response, lost in his discoveries of you.</p><p>“I-I’m getting cold.”</p><p>“Oh, of course.” He replied, removing his hand away from yours. “Ya poor thing, we’ve been up here for quite some time now, haven’t we? Let’s get ya somewhere warm.”</p><p>You truly didn’t mind, you would have suffered through the frigid weather longer if it meant more time with him. The symptoms were beginning to return, the medication had worn off.</p>
<hr/><p>“You just can’t seem to catch a darn break, can you?” Stanley asked with a chuckle.</p><p>This was true. You had the worst luck here in Gravity Falls. You had found yourself trapped in another ‘itchy throat’ attack, coughing up what sounded to be, a lung. It wasn’t the most attractive thing Stan had seen. Though he still offered you a kind smile as the both of you made your way to his car.</p><p>“I suppose I’m just bad luck,” You retorted with a shrug, wiping your hand across your nose.</p><p>“Well, that makes two of us. If there’s anything I learned from life, it’s that two wrongs certainly make a right.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Murder at the Mystery Shack</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have created a Gravity Falls Discord, if you are 18 years or older, you can join <a href="https://discord.gg/b6vgQtX">here</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Wax Museum of Mystery, Grand Re-Opening.<br/>June 1st, 12:00 pm, at the Mystery Shack.”</p><p>You had walked by a telephone pole with a flyer attached to it. Several pieces of tape made certain that the paper wouldn’t fall. The letters, from what you could tell, were written in pink glitter glue. Stickers of smiling faces and unicorns surrounded the page. You smiled and chuckled to yourself, surely this was none other than your niece’s handiwork.</p><p>‘You have nothing better to do today,’ You thought among yourself, thinking through your schedule to sort out any conflicting events. ‘It could be fun.’ Turning over the paper you held, you were met with a ‘Free Pizza’ advertisement. Well, that took care of lunch.</p><p>You were set to go.</p><hr/><p>Soos marshalled the bus in with a corn dog in each hand, alternating so he could snack while he worked. Peering out the window, you noticed a banner labeled, “The Eighth Wonder of the World,” was plastered on the side of the shack. Stan was truly attempting to sell it. A few infamous wax figures were demonstrated on stage where the unveiling was to take place. You remembered when the wax museum was a prominent addition to the tour. The guests adored it. It was good to see Stan working to reclaim the old exhibit.</p><p>You were welcomed to the sound of children fighting as they stood in line alongside their parents. The turnout was surprising given the man who was running the show, but he knew how to catch people’s attention. The ‘Free Pizza’ probably had something to do with it as well.</p><p>Disembarking from the bus, you joined the other patrons in their pilgrimage towards the shack. As you neared the front of the line, you spotted a few familiar faces. Wendy, the red-haired girl who often manned the register at the shack, and your own nephew. They seemed to be enjoying themselves despite sitting in the midst of the blistering heat.</p><p>“Hey you two,” You said cheerily as you stood before them in line.</p><p>“Mrs. Reader, what are you doing here?” Wendy looked at you confused but overall happy to see you.</p><p>“I can’t come and support the Mystery Shack?”</p><p>“Nah, it’s just- I heard you and Mr. Pines, um,” Wendy made a glance at Dipper who was discreetly attempting to shake his head, signaling the girl to drop the subject. You stared between the two of them in bewilderment.</p><p>“So,” You replied awkwardly, deciding it was best to change the topic altogether. “How much do I owe ya?”</p><p>“Fifteen-”</p><p>“It’s free for family-,” Dipper butted in, sliding you an admissions ticket with a large grin. The previous topic had flustered him, it was obvious he may have been trying to ease any discomfort for bringing up Stan.</p><p>“Well, that’s awfully kind.”</p><p>“Yeah, of course, just don’t let him know.”</p><p>You chortled in response, pushing your index finger and thumb together as you dragged them across your lips. They were sealed to the matter.</p><p>Making your way towards the outdoor seating arrangements, you couldn’t help but let your mind wander into how much the kids possibly knew of your ‘disagreement’ with Stanley. What business did a couple of pre-teens have in being aware of the fact that you and him were not ‘together?’ What was he filling their heads with?</p><hr/><p>Stan took his place on the center stage, clearing his throat as he thumped a finger on the microphone. Squeezing past the individuals, you had assumed your seat towards the back of the crowd. The jarring tone of feedback reverberated through the bunch, leaving them with their hands shoved against their ears. You winced with guests, rubbing your ear to soothe the ringing. Already off to a great start.</p><p>“You all know me, folks...Town darlin’ Mister Mystery. Please, ladies, control yourselves.”</p><p>The man had almost instantly identified you amongst the rest. How could he possibly miss a face like yours? He presented you with a confident smirk and boastful wink. Crossing your arms over your chest, you puffed, averting your eyes so as to not satisfy his abnormally large ego. ‘Oh, please,’ you mused, though altogether entertaining the flirt.</p><p>“As you know,” He proceeded. “I always bring the people of this fair town, novelties and befuddlements; the likes of which the world has never known. But enough about me, behold- ME!”</p><p>There was a swarm of ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aahs’ as the man unveiled the new addition to the collection. Soos accompanied the attraction with a few sound effects from his keyboard. You were met with an impressive wax statue of the notorious shack owner. As often as Stan was a showboat, the sculpture was intriguing. There, before the audience stood a lifesize replica of Mister Mystery himself, doused in glitter. It was a nice touch from Mabel. You had made note that sparkles were her signature.</p><p>“And now a word from our very own, ‘Mabelangelo.’”</p><p>Stan passed down the microphone to the girl. Taking it in her own hand, she innocently corrected him.</p><p>“It’s just Mabel.”</p><p>The young artist began to explain the amount of time and effort it took to complete such a project. She walked the audience through her inspiration and overall motifs before opening the floor to questions. Through a few strange but overall entertaining inquiries, a reporter who addressed herself as Shandra Jimenez arose from her seat. You were relieved to find she seemed more professional than the other ‘sources.’ Presenting the flyer, she reminded the event coordinator that pizza was promised with admission to the gathering. An uproar of frustration followed behind her as the guests became disgruntled.</p><p>“That was a typo. Goodnight Everyone!” Stanley lifted his arm with haste, throwing down a bomb that engulfed the stage in smoke.</p><p>Was he still convinced this trick fooled people? Apparently so as you heard an individual beside you muttering, “Where did he go?” and another responding, “He disappeared.” What was in the water these people drank? Clearly, and even with your elderly eyesight, you could see Stan racing away from the stage, breathing heavily. Rushing past the admissions table, he grabbed the money box and hauled it off with him.</p><p>Finding yourself in the middle of the chaos, you made your way quickly to safety at the admissions booth where Dipper and Wendy sat. The three of you watched, enthralled as exasperated patrons raddled and vandalized the premises. The townsfolk had transformed into barbaric savages within minutes of realizing there was no free food with the event; kicking over chairs, punching their fellow neighbors, and taking axes to the thick torsos of trees.</p><p>“All this over pizza?” You asked, unsure of whether you should step in and prevent the damage from occurring. However, you figured the money-hungry con man had this coming for him.</p><p>“Never underestimate the value of free pizza, Mrs. Reader.” Wendy remarked, not moving her gaze from the mayhem.</p><p>Mabel had slowly joined the group of you, a look of uncertainty on her face as things had escalated so quickly. “That went well.” You couldn’t discern whether she was sarcastic or generally optimistic of the turn of events.</p><p>“It’s a great sculpture. You should be proud.” You said, not wanting the angry guests to spoil her achievements. It didn’t seem like they had.</p><hr/><p>It was the day after the unveiling had occurred. You had made yourself busy amongst the scene of the town, embarking on an errand run. It wasn’t shocking to find that the twins were out and about as usual. You never could have dreamed of finding them exiting a bar that was known for being frequented by bikers and gang members. Gaining up on them, you took note of their appearance, wanting to be sure you had the right pair of kids before you called out.</p><p>“Don’t I know you two from somewhere?” You commented from behind the twins, they turned around to discover who was talking to them.</p><p>“Auntie Reader! Hey, we’ve been meaning to come find you.”</p><p>The two began to approach you.</p><p>“What for? You two missing your Great Aunt that much?”</p><p>“Well, yes, but we need to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind.”</p><p>“There’s been a murder at the Mystery Shack!” Mabel piped, sporting a usually cheerful grin for someone who just found out about a homicide.</p><p>Looking between the two, your eyes grew wide at the mention of this news. You couldn’t help yourself but horrifyingly worry about who might have been the unfortunate victim; Soos, Wendy, Stan? Blood pressure was beginning to increase, heart beginning to race.</p><p>“W-What?” What, who-”</p><p>“Someone murdered wax Stan.”</p><p>Oh. Oh, good. You didn’t know how you could have possibly responded if something grave were to happen to any of the members at the shack. A hand raised up to your chest to calm your rapid heartbeat. Thinking over the situation, why would the authorities allow the two children to wander aimlessly around the town after a recent homicide of someone close to them? Then again, the police weren’t exactly the most qualified to protect the town.</p><p>“And we’ve taken on the responsibility of breaking the case.”</p><p>“Breaking the case!” Mabel chimed in with a yell.</p><p>“Are you alright?” The boy asked, concerned as you still had your hand over your heart. You had turned pale.</p><p>“Yeah, you just scared me there.” You waved off his worry, letting go of the air you held.</p><p>“We’ve been walking around town, doing some detective work and interviewing the people that were at the event. So far we’ve been able to shorten our list some, but the culprit is still at large.”</p><p>“How many people have you checked off the list?” You inquired.</p><p>“Let’s see-,” Dipper paused as he began to flip through his notes, scratching the back of his head with the eraser end of his pencil. “Manely Dan, Old Man McGucket, That Fat Guy with the ‘Free Pizza’ T-shirt, Angry Lady, Mikey R.-” The list seemed to go on for a good while, the kids had been persistent in their search.</p><p>“That leaves us at Auntie Reader, that’s you!” Mabel said, extending her index finger in your direction.</p><p>“Do you mind?” Dipper asked your permission with a smile.</p><p>“Not at all, let’s go to the park. I haven’t eaten lunch yet, we can pick up some hot dogs while we take care of this interview.”</p><hr/><p>“Where were you the night of June 1st at 10:00pm?”</p><p>“I was back at home, reading a book.”</p><p>“Fess up, woman! We both know you don’t read.” Mabel slammed her hand down on the edge of the park bench. Ketchup lined the corners of her mouth as she had been busying herself among lunch.</p><p>“Mabel-”</p><p>“No, she’s fine. It’s funny.” You chuckled.</p><p>Mabel, becoming the easy excitable girl she was, let her mouth run a bit too long. “Grunkle Stan told us you had gotten into a fight, the evidence is irrefutable. You wanted to murder the man, but you were too much of a coward to go for it, so you executed the wax version of him instead.”</p><p>You were taken back by her accusations. Even if they came from a twelve year old girl, they still seared you to the bone. Stan had told the children, and from the way Mabel was reacting, he was not sharing fond things with them. You couldn’t describe how you felt in that moment, but you were damaged. It had already been hard enough to bare. He was rubbing salt into the wound at this point. Once chuckling at the girl’s remarks, you now repositioned yourself on the park bench, visibly uncomfortable. Looking down at the afternoon meal, you felt your appetite had vanished.</p><p>“Auntie Reader?”</p><p>Dipper was careful to catch your attention, and Mabel grew weary of her outburst. Even if she had meant it in good fun, she could tell it had bothered you. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that-”</p><p>“Listen, kid, I know times between us are difficult right now. I’m sorry you had to hear it from him. I don’t know what your uncle is telling you but I didn’t destroy your sculpture. I could never bring myself to do that.”</p><p>You smiled half heartedly at them before rising to your feet from your seated position, disposing of the hotdog in a nearby trash can. Reaching forward, you placed a hand on each of the twins heads to mess with their hair. This, so they knew you weren’t upset with them. You could never hold a grudge against your niece and nephew. They weren’t the ones to blame. Stanley, that was a whole different ball game. Why was he dead set on your discomfort? To think, things may have been coming back together. You felt foolish.</p><p>“You guys goin’ to be able to get home alright?”</p><p>The two of them nodded their heads, returning an empathetic grin. Passing off a mundane wave, you made your way toward the bus station. You needed to get back and lay down for a while to collect your thoughts.</p><p>“I think I just made a mistake.” Mabel said.</p><p>“Yep.” Dipper responded, watching as you walked away.</p><p>“Grunkle Stan isn’t going to like this, is he?”</p><p>“Nope.”</p><hr/><p>“You told her- WHAT?”</p><p>Just as suspected, Stan did not take the news of their run in with you lightly, especially the tidbit of Mabel’s slip of the tongue. Things were not going according to his plan, in fact, they now seemed to be gradually spiraling out of his control. He had done so well trying to be cordial with you at the lake, this set things back a bit.</p><p>Sinking into his armchair, Stanley let his head fall into the palms of his hands. He traced his fingers in soft circles around his temples, feeling the beginning wave of a headache approach. A soft groan evaded him as he thought of his alternative options in making things right with you. ‘Once again, great job. You should’ve been smarter than to confide in a couple of kids.’ Though he wasn’t the only one to take fault for this, the twins had squeezed it out of him when he was at his most vulnerable.</p><p>“What am I gonna do?” He spoke aloud through thick fingers, processing through some things.</p><p>“Grunkle Stan? I may have an idea.”</p><p>“No offense, kid, but I think I’ll handle this one by myself.”</p><p>Stan may have become desperate for a solution, but he had learned his lesson the hard way. If he wanted to make a change with you, it had to be an original idea from him. “I’ve got it.”</p><hr/><p>“Kids, Soos, Reader, and the lifeless wax figures, thank you all for coming. Some people might say it’s wrong for a man to love a wax replica of himself.”</p><p>Why had you agreed to come to this? An early morning, open casket, memorial service for Wax Stan. He had gone above and beyond in creating such an event to ‘celebrate and remember’ the life of his ceroplastic doppelganger. Truthfully, you were impressed. Stanley had set up rows of chairs in the parlor, the rest of the wax collection seated in them. Plastic flowers adorned the area. He had even gone through the trouble of preparing breakfast for the service, a pot of coffee sat beside a box of fresh doughnuts.</p><p>“They’re wrong.” Soos stood up in defensive anger towards his boss’s grief.</p><p>Raising a hand to ease his employee’s rage, Soos took his seat. Wiping at a tear as it threatened to emerge from his eye, Stan sniffed.</p><p>“Wax Stan, I hope you’re picking pockets in wax heaven. ‘M sorry, I got glitter in my eye.”</p><p>A vile combination of misery was beginning to overtake the man. Between the agony of losing an, already, lifeless companion and the overwhelming fear that he had messed up his chances with you, Stan rushed out of the room. He left a trail of weeping, followed quickly by Soos. You were left in the parlor beside the kids. The wax statues that occupied the rows behind you were frightening enough that you chose not to make glances at them. Although, you knew it was a childish worry, you couldn’t help but examine how real they actually appeared.</p><p>Mabel and Dipper exchanged their frustration for having not solved the case of the runaway murderer, unknowing and confused as to why their evidence and clues led them astray. They carried the murder weapon with them, but found that it contained no fingerprints. They considered the footsteps at the crime scene, how they appeared to wear a gap in the sole of them. The boy left his seat to gather near the coffin, he had to steal one last look at Wax Stan’s corpse. This proved useful as he noticed a prominent gap in the figures shoe. “Huh? Wax Stan’s shoe has a hole in it.”</p><p>Both Mabel and you approached him to take a look for yourself. Sure enough, he was right. It was brought to his attention that all of the wax sculptures have these hollow spots.</p><p>“What has holes in its shoes and no fingerprints?”</p><p>The three of you bonded in a look of alarmed realization.</p><p>“Mabel, Auntie! The murderers are-”</p><p>“Standing right behind you?”</p><p>The three of you turned your heads at once towards the sound of an unidentified individual. Squeaking filled your ears and sent a shudder down your back as you awaited the improbable, the once lifeless forms were now becoming mobile, awakening. The voice in question had emerged from a sculpture of the well-known mystery novels’, Sherlock Holmes. Surrounding him was a band of unlikely figures, some of which you would never categorize in the same room; Genghis Khan, Richard Nixon, John Wilkes Booth, Larry King, and many more.</p><p>“H-how is this possible? You’re made of wax.” Dipper was just as shocked as you were, unable to put any logic behind the events that were occurring. They were taking staggered steps towards you. Without hesitation, you put your arms out in front of the kids, attempting to corral them behind your form.</p><p>“We’re cursed!” Wax Sherlock Holmes slammed his fist down on the coffin behind the three of you as he approached, retrieving a tremble from the boy. “And now that you know our little secret, you must die.”</p><p>“Woah, woah, maybe we can come to some kind of agreement? We can forget this ever even happened and you can continue doing whatever it is uh, wax people do.” It was comical you were attempting to reason with the figures. It was obvious that they had a bone to pick with the shack owner.</p><p>When questioned of their dark intentions towards Stan, Wax Sherlock Holmes began to extend their lament to you. He informed you of the transaction between Stan and the unfortunate businessman who was eager to get rid of them. The wax figures seemed to revel in their new lifestyle at the shack; being ogled at and taken pictures with by day, and running the shack by night. Their fun was spoiled when the exhibit was no longer accumulating money from tourists and the door was shut on them for good. In the storage closet, they stood immobile for years at a time, unable to experience the freedom they had just acquired. This was their motif, to eliminate anyone that stood between them and their liberty, and they were not open to suggestions.</p><p>“Auntie Reader, what do we do?” Mabel was clutching onto your clothing, anxiously anticipating an out from this situation.</p><p>The wax figures were closing in on the group of you, having cornered you on all sides. The only means you had of an escape at this point was through a fight. Your back pressed against the concessions table. Startled, you spun to spectate what you had just touched. Without much thought, you discreetly motioned Dipper’s attention. It was merely an idea but judging by the steam that fogged around the pot on the table, you had assumed that it was perhaps fresh, hot, coffee. If it didn’t succeed in degrading the figures build, you could at least stun them with it before advancing.</p><p>“The coffee pot-” You murmured.</p><p>Reaching back with haste, Dipper grabbed the pot by the stem and sloshed its contents towards the group of wax figures. Wax Gengis Khan was the unfortunate victim on the receiving end. A cry of agony bellowed from him as his face and armor began withering down his frame in a thick consistency. Wax pooled around his feet. It was a score for team pines, a repulsive triumph.</p><p>“You really think you can defeat us?” Wax Sherlock Holmes was beyond agitated at this point, his comrade, now half the height he was to begin with.</p><p>“Stand your ground, kids. We’re more than capable of defeating these guys.” Having taken hold of three decorative candles, you passed them out among yourself and the kids.</p><p>“So be it. Attack!” The wax army darted in your direction, and you implored your group to do the same. The room fell into an array of chaos as you each, individually, divided to take out a few statues. You reigned victorious in your attempts, slaying the figures by the candlelight. Wax Larry King and Shakespeare fell to the wrath of Mabel as she swung one of their disembodied heads into the others, warranting them to topple over. You seized the opportunity to kick a loose head into the fireplace, retrieving an arm from the floor to slap the axe clean out of Wax Lizzie Borden’s hands. Taking the weapon as your own, you struck your way down the center of her, watching in disgust as the two halves peeled away from each other. “Gross,” you murmured.<br/>The statues were becoming gravely outnumbered as you and the kids proceeded fighting, eliminating them one by one.</p><p>“Alright, let’s get this taken care of.” Wax Sherlock Holmes traded in Stan’s head for a mounted sword on the wall, aiming it at the ready to exterminate Dipper from the scene. Mabel had tossed him a metallic poker from beside the fireplace as a means to defend himself. You were caught between the twins, unsure of who to assist. Before you had a chance to figure out your options, Dipper dashed from the parlor, taking Sherlock with him.</p><p>Who were you kidding? These kids were the most valiant you had ever come to know. In the few weeks they had been in Gravity Falls, they fought off an army of rabid gnomes, escaped the grips of an enormous lake monster, and even learned how to tame the hideous beast that was their uncle. Dipper was more than capable of handling himself. You had work to complete here.</p><hr/><p>As the sun began to rise above the horizon, you could make out the echo of a shriek from the shack’s roof. You took this as a means of celebration, Dipper had successfully led the detective to his own demise. Clumps of wax fell from the roof and over the parlor window, and as relieved as you were that this fever dream was coming to a close, you felt nauseated as you watched.</p><p>It hadn’t taken long before you and Mabel proceeded eliminating your wax opponents, shoveling their remains into the fire. Hoisting up the head of Larry King to your eye level, you were eager to speak with him before disposing. “Hey there, big fan. I’ve always wanted to know, who has been the rudest guest you’ve interviewed?”</p><p>“My publicist implores me not to answer that.”</p><p>“Heh, lame.” You chuckled with a shrug of your shoulders as you hurled his head into the roaring fire, like a bowling ball.</p><p>Dipper had rejoined the group, a successful grin on his face. He was welcomed by his sister who mirrored in his victory, rushing towards him to express her relief he was alright. Picking the head of Wax Stan off of the ground, he polished it with the sleeve of his shirt.</p><p>“Hot belgian waffles. What happened to my parlor?” Stan stood in utter disbelief. Curtains were torn as they hung from the windows, now a tattered mess. Taxidermied animals littered the floor from their original position on the wall. You stood alongside the twins, wax clumps decorating your clothes and face.</p><p>“Your wax figures turned out to be evil so we fought them to the death.”</p><p>“Hah! You kids and your imaginations.” Stan gathered up the twins in his arms, rewarding them with a tight squeeze and friendly nudge.</p><p>“But, Auntie Reader was there-” Mabel protested in frustration that her uncle seemed to pass it off as a childlike wonder.</p><p>“We were fighting wax figures?” Over the time they had been here, you were able to improve on your acting techniques. They were mediocre at best but you could often pass it off as being ‘just an old woman.’</p><p>“You alright?” Stan’s attention was now resting on you, the volume of his voice almost below a whisper. The strange and unknown of the town still remained a shared secret between the two of you, however, it was proving more difficult to keep this from the kids as you found yourself fighting these beasts with them.</p><p>Placing an arm on his knee, the man grunted as he rose to his feet. Old age had not been accommodating to his joints.</p><p>“I’m fine.” You smiled with a civil wave.</p><p>“Good, there’s something I need to tell ya.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Gideon's Arrival</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>"</strong><em>Good, there's somethin' I need to tell you</em>.<strong>"</strong></p><p>That opened up a multitude of possibilities as to what he wanted to discuss with you, but you had figured what may have been weighing heavy on his heart. You shared a similar guilt for quite some time. Though, you had to stop yourself from expecting too much, nothing good could come from that. Whatever Stanley wished to tell you, it was on his own accord. With an eager mindset, you were willing to partake in conversation. </p><p><strong>"</strong>Mind<em> stepping outside?</em><strong>"</strong> With the wave of his arm, Stanley gestured towards the door. You obliged to his request, accompanying him out on the front porch of the shack. The twins, meanwhile, had exchanged a look of uncertainty, followed by one of relief. With the mannerisms their uncle had expressed towards the absence of you around the shack versus when he was beside you, the way he so fondly recalled memories and told stories of the past, it didn't take much prodding to conclude he yearned to patch things up. Perhaps, he was finally getting to it. </p><p>As the man took his spot on the sofa that occupied the entrance, you joined him. Stan wouldn't have made himself comfortable if he only had light remarks to give, something was clearly pressing him. </p><p><strong>"</strong>Is<em> there- something on your mind</em>?<strong>"</strong> Breaking the silence, you folded your hands neatly in your lap, stealing a glance at him from your peripheral. Stan sat, rigid in his bad posture against the cushion. He was visibly nervous, taking a moment to force a swallow. <strong>"</strong><em>Yeah, there is- <strong>you</strong></em>.<strong>"</strong> There was a pause in the air, shared between the both of you. <strong>"</strong><em>You've been naggin' on my mind, in fact, can't shake you. I don't want to</em>.<strong>"</strong> There was no way of knowing how you would react to what he had to confess, but an apology was long overdue. No longer could he bare the restless nights, staring blankly towards the ceiling, wondering about the words left unsaid.</p><p>Every so often, the man could display his explosive capabilities, it wasn't the first episode you had seen from him. With attempting to maintain his day job as the tour guide and simultaneously babysit his great niece and nephew, he found himself unable to cope with the stress behind the scenes. You understood this. As the frustration towards one another rose, you wished the two of you might have handled it better. Oh well, there's nothing to do now but move forward.  </p><p>You trained your gaze to lie upon him, discovering he had been staring back at you. <strong>"</strong><em>Stanley, I'm sorry</em>.<strong>"</strong> You confessed, taking some of the blame as you had egged him on in the argument. At this, you watched the man shift, giving you a perplexed stare. </p><p><strong>"</strong>What<em> on earth are you sorry for? I'm the one that owes you an apology for the outburst I had. I was a jerk to ya, and you were right, I had become someone I didn't recognize. So caught up in my work and the stress of daily life that I forgot what really mattered-</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>The apology was cut short as the sound of a loud horn abruptly butted into the conversation, retrieving your attention. The vehicle that approached the two of you from the road was far too familiar for comfort in the eyes of Stan. The tour bus in question belonged to his long-time business rival and self-proclaimed 'Town Cutie,' Gideon Gleeful. It had been awhile since the twelve year old psychic had paid visitation to his hometown, having been on the road to showcase his 'telepathic' abilities to the rest of the country. To say the least, you remembered how happy Stan was to see the kid go. Never quite understanding his burning hatred towards the kid, you endured his endless rants about how Gideon would go on to use the same business strategies, stealing his customers from beneath him. You suddenly witnessed that same hatred as Stanley stood from his place on the couch, approaching the bus. Reluctantly, you followed after him. </p><p>The side window had been rolled down and the small child leaned out to greet the pair of you. </p><p>"<em>My my my- oof</em>!" Gideon hadn't proceeded to roll the window down enough, his well groomed and stiff straight hair with all the product in it, causing him to bump out between the frame. With a heavy sigh and grumble, the kid lowered the window more. "<em>My my my, well, if it isn't Stanford Pines</em>."</p><p>It had never become easy to associate Stanley with his brother's identity, it still caught you off guard from time to time. Was he still keeping up the charade? </p><p>"<em>What are you doin' in town, ya little leech? I thought I told you yer not welcome here</em>." Stan lifted his index finger towards Gideon, animated in his displeasure to be running into the child. </p><p>"<em>Oh really? That's a shame. Last I checked, the people of Gravity Falls just couldn't get enough of widdle 'ol me. But at any rate, that is no way for you to behave in front of <strong>such</strong> a pretty face. Hello Mrs. Pines, how are you</em>?" With his elbow leaning against the windowsill, Gideon rested his chin on the palm of his hand, twiddling his fingers. You produced a cordial grin, feeling a judgmental glare off of Stan for conversing with his arch nemesis. "<em>I'm doing fine Gideon. How about yourself</em>?"</p><p>"<em>Well, I'm just glad to be back home around such delightful people like yourself</em>." Gideon let out an exuberant chortle, receiving a groan from Stan who stood beside you. "<em>Oh please</em>," He groaned.</p><p>"<em>Hey, I'm hosting a reading tonight at the Tent of Telepathy if y'all are interested in comin' by." </em>Leaning over to retrieve something from the side of his seat, a flyer was soon presented to the both of you. Reaching up, Stan stole the paper from the child's hand with force<em>. "We're not." </em>You watched as the piece of paper was crumbled in his hands and tossed away to the side of the road. Squinting his eyes in distaste, Gideon appeared to be more agitated than offended by Stan's rude behavior. You looked between the two of them before clearing your throat to break up the staring contest<em>. "Stan may not go, but I'm sure some of us can find the time</em>." </p><p>Coming back from the intense glare he shared with the man, Gideon beamed towards you. It was an unnerving contrast in demeanor. "<em>Oh, that would be just wonderful. It's gonna be buckets o' fun. Well, I should start gettin' ready for tonight's show, I mean uh- reading</em>." As the bus began to depart, Gideon called out, "<em>Hope to see you there</em>." You watched as the window rolled back up, catching white hair. </p><p>"<em>You're not seriously gonna waste your money on <strong>that</strong>, are you</em>?" Stanley had brought his attention towards you, his arms folded over each other. The man felt oddly betrayed by your friendliness towards the kid. With a roll of your eyes and a taunting chuckle, you began to walk back towards the shack. You had figured the old rivalry had clouded Stan's willingness to apologize as previously done. The conversation seemed to be put on hold for now. "<em>You're not seriously still obsessed with <strong>that</strong> child, are you</em>?" You shot back, finding his anger silly. </p><p>"<em>Obsessed</em>?" Stan sputtered at your remark. "<em>He wishes</em>."</p><hr/><p>"<em>Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Stan, can we go see Gideon's Tent of Telepathy</em>?" </p><p>Mabel, Dipper, and Soos all looked towards the both of you with pleading eyes. They occupied the living room where, from what you could see on the television, an advertisement for tonight's festivities was still playing. Man, that was fast. </p><p>"<em>And give an hour and a half of your precious time away to some pathological liar</em>?"</p><p>"<em>You lie to people everyday</em>-" Dipper piped up to remind him of his line of work. The kid had a point. </p><p>"<em>Yeah? Well, at least I'm entertaining about it. Alright, well, if you kid's are so dead set on going to see some freak prance around a stage and tell you obvious things about yourself, I'm sure your aunt would be more than happy to take ya</em>." Since when did you say you wanted to go? Why were you being roped into this? You would much rather continue discussing things from out on the porch. </p><p>"<strong><em>Yeah</em></strong>!" A collective cheer burst from the room, and Stan slumped into the arm chair in defeat. The three began pumping their fists in the air as they filed in towards the car. Soos could see as you remained by Stan in the living room, popping his head back in to address you. "<em>You coming Mrs. Reader? We'll take my car</em>." </p><p>You looked from Soos to Stan to gauge your options. Their was a yearning for Stanley to get up and inform that you were to be staying with him for the night, but you deemed that unlikely as you watched him stare towards the television. You could have very well told Soos that you, in fact, would be staying behind with Stan, though a big piece of you wanted to be chased by the man. You wanted to feel that your time and presence was desired by him. But facing his cold shoulder again, it was no wonder why you felt the need to leave him to his own devices. "<em>Yeah, I'm coming</em>." </p><p>With that, you were gone. Stan had been watching as you turned your back to leave. "<em>Damn it. You screwed up, <strong>again</strong></em>," he muttered to himself, pounding the end of his balled up hand into the arm of the chair. He was inwardly punching and reprimanding himself for his childish actions, unsure of why he couldn't man up and sweep you off your feet like he was once able to. "<em>That's it. This time, this time you're gonna get over yourself</em>." </p><p>Stanley hadn't invested much thought to his game plan, but he knew his objective and that was all that mattered to him. Quickly rising as he didn't want to spoil the time he had, he grabbed his suit jacket and emerged from the shack to get to his car. He would endure through the shit show if it meant a chance to make it up to you. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you read his dialogue in Gideon's voice, you're a real one and I salute you.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Widdle ‘Ol Tantrum</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>after writing this chapter two times through and watching it delete both times, it’s finally here :,)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You and your party approached the Tent of Telepathy alongside, what seemed to be, the entire town of Gravity Falls. You weren’t surprised by this, Gideon was considered a celebrity there. Since the town seldom held many events, it was a huge ordeal when the kid made an appearance.</p><p><strong>“</strong><em>Step right up there, folks. Come and put your money in Gideon’s Psychic Sack</em>.<strong>”</strong> The voice belonged to Gideon’s manager, publicist, mentor, and father; Bud Gleeful. He held out a bag sporting the Tent of Telepathy’s notorious emblem on it. Ignorant patrons stashed a few bucks into the bag as they walked by, retrieving a smile and tip of the straw hat from the man.</p><p>Continuing towards the entrance of the tent, you began to corral the kids, hoping to get them in. Without a doubt, if Mabel were to catch on to the scam, she would be more than eager to participate. And just like clockwork, <strong>“</strong><em>Ooh, Auntie Reader? I want to put some money into the Psychic Sack. Can I borrow a few bucks</em>?<strong>"</strong></p><p>You grimaced towards her question as you found yourself in a tough spot. Lifting your gaze from the ground, you found Bud wearing a wide grin as he pushed the bag in your direction. You didn’t want to reply with a no and appear a jerk, but, being married to a rather stingy businessman had taught you a thing or two about how you invested your money. <strong>"</strong><em>I’m afraid I don’t have any cash on me, Sweetheart, but I can get you some popcorn</em>.<strong>"</strong></p><p>With the prospect of food now on the girls’ mind, she completely forgot about the bag.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Well, who’s this little lady here</em>?<strong>"</strong> Bud asked, his grin now focused on Mabel.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Name’s Mabel</em>.<strong>"</strong> She replied, her attention transfixed on what lay inside the tent. Rising to her tiptoes, she attempted to peer around the guests.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>She’s really excited for the show</em>.<strong>"</strong> You chuckled, patting her shoulder as your group stepped inside.</p><p>It had not taken long before the four of you settled in, awaiting the performance. Reaching your hand over towards the snack, you were greeted with a vivacious smack. Mabel absentmindedly shoveled handfuls of popcorn into her mouth, watching the stage. <strong>"</strong><em>I bought that so we could share</em>.<strong>"</strong> You replied, looking at her as you retrieved your hand.</p><p>Soos kindly offered you a bite of his fried pie, for which you gratefully declined.</p>
<hr/><p>The Stanmobile came to a hasty halt in an empty space at the Tent of Telepathy’s designated lot. With headlights positioned directly towards the opening of the tent, Stan could see the last of the crowd was beginning to file in. Good, he wasn’t late.</p><p>Stanley had to prepare his mind, body, and soul for what he was about to step into. A few curses evaded him as he questioned the great lengths he had gone. “This isn’t for you. It’s for her.” That was the consistent reminder that rang out in his head. He would have to set his prideful ways aside for a moment, something he often found hard to accomplish. “But God, this better be worth it.”</p><p>Knuckles were beginning to turn white as his digits gripped tightly around the steering wheel. He allowed his head to fall against the wheel, several times. With a strained groan and a thick inhale through the nose, he exited the vehicle. He bravely ventured where he never believed he would.</p><p>Bud Gleeful remained at the entrance of the tent to greet any last patrons. As the car door was slammed shut, he placed his undivided attention on the sound. Dammit. Stan had been spotted.</p><p>“Well, hey there, Stan. We weren’t expecting to see you tonight. Gideon will be mighty happy you could join us.”</p><p>“I’m not here for the runt,” Stan grumbled as he sauntered past the rotund man.</p><p>At this point, having endured the harsh remarks, Bud was immune to his gruffness. The snips only bounced off of him. “Listen, while I have you, let’s get together to talk about business. I have a proposition I’d like to share with you.”</p><p>“Don’t hold your breath.” </p>
<hr/><p>“This is like a bizarro version of the Mystery Shack.” Dipper had been making observations of the similarities and differences between the two venues. He nudged his elbow into the side of Soos’ arm. “Look, they even have their own Soos.” Turning his head, the man was met by the gaze of a handyman who bore an uncanny resemblance to himself. You overheard as he muttered a malicious, “There’s only room for one.”</p><p>Your attention was broken as you heard a few grunts and stammers from the audience at the side of you. The remarks ranged from “Ouch,” to “Hey, watch it, old man.” Turning to unveil what everyone was so up in arms about, you noticed Stanley squeezing through the crowded aisle of people. With a groan of frustration and overall exhaustion of retaliating against the guests, he shoved his way through. “No, you watch it! I’m tryin’ to get to my family.”</p><p>The remark had tamed the upset individuals somewhat. With a huff as he finally reached you, Stanley presented you with a wide grin. “Hey there, Sunshine.” You hadn’t heard that name in a while. He was up to something.</p><p>“I thought you weren’t coming.”</p><p>“<em>And miss this disaster? Wouldn’t dream of it</em>.” He chuckled, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “<em>Someone sittin’ here</em>?”</p><p>Shaking your head, the man claimed his spot in the empty space beside you.</p><p>“<em>Listen, uh, the real reason why I’m here is to tell you-</em>”</p><p>“<em>Shh- it’s starting! It’s starting</em>!” Mabel was demanding of your silence as she shushed the both of you from beside her brother.</p><p>As the lights began to die down in the tent, a pair of spotlights searched the crowd, maneuvering their way to the stage where the shadow of a tremendous figure was plastered on the curtains. As the drapes were pulled apart, there stood Gideon, smiling brightly in his child size pantsuit.</p><p>Both of the twins stifled their laughter. “<em><strong>That’s</strong> Stan’s mortal enemy</em>?” Dipper inquired quizzically. Mabel chimed in, “<em>But he’s so “Widdle”</em>.”</p><p>Gideon lifted his arms dramatically to welcome the town. “<em>Hello America! My name is Lil’ Gideon. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is such a gift to have you here tonight-</em>”</p><p>“<em><strong>Boo</strong></em>!” Stan had cupped his hands around his mouth to project his displeasure, disrupting the child’s entry speech. “<em>Boo, get off the stage</em>!” You couldn’t help but find amusement in how petty the man could become, but you were obligated to set a good example in front of the twins. “<em>Be respectful</em>,” You muttered, discreetly shoving your elbow into the side of his ribcage. Stan jumped a bit before clasping a hand to his side. Apparently, you had landed a blow. “<em>Take it easy, toots, I’m just joking around</em>.”</p><p>Gideon had begun clearing his throat, closing his eyes to regain his composure. The fact that he was still mic'd up to the speaker system had eluded him, the audience heard as he gave himself a pep talk. “<em>Be the bigger man, Gideon, be the bigger man</em>.”</p><p>“<em>As I was sayin’, It is such a gift. I have a vision, everyone. I predict, you’ll all soon say, ‘awe’</em>.”</p><p>Turning his back to everyone, a bright, dazzling cape was showcased to the crowd. You swore you were able to hear him mutter a countdown before turning to reveal his face. A finger was brought up to his pouting lips. You could see how hard he tried to widen his eyes.</p><p>Just as the child had envisioned, the crowd gave a collective, “<strong><em>Awe</em></strong>!” Stan had leaned over towards you to mutter “<em>Yikes</em>,” beside your ear, producing a chuckle from you. With a gentle grin, he shared in the laughter. Stanley reveled in your enjoyment, and he counted it as a personal win for having made you laugh.</p><p>“Hit it Dad.” With the point of his finger, Bud took his que to begin providing the musical accompaniment on piano. Jutting his hip out to the side, Gideon began thumping his foot against the stage floor in tune with the song. He was about to grace the audience with his voice.</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <strong>"</strong>
    <em>Oh I can see w</em>
    <em>hat other's can't see</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>It ain't some sideshow trick, i</em>
    <em>t's innate ability</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>Where others are blind, I am futurely inclined</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>And you too could see, if you was Widdle 'Ol Me</em>
    <strong>"</strong>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>“<em>Come on everybody, rise up. I want y’all to keep this going, rise up</em>.” The child placed a hand on the turquoise stone he wore around his neck. Just as he had done so, the room stood to their feet, almost against your will. Looking around with unease, you felt your limbs being manipulated into bringing your hands together to keep in time with the beat. Stanley gave an equally concerned expression, it seemed it was only the two of you that didn’t enjoy this.</p><p>The tempo of the music quickly changed to one of southern gospel.</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <strong>"</strong>
    <em>You wish your son would call you more</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>I sense that you've been her before</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>I'll read your mind if I am able</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>Something tells me you're name Mabel.</em>
    <strong>"</strong>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>“How did he do that?” Mabel looked utterly flabbergasted at this, her mouth wide open. <strike>It wasn’t like it was plastered on the front of her sweater.</strike></p><p>Stanley couldn’t let Gideon get away with impressing his niece, the thought boiled his blood. Leaning over you, he muttered to Mabel, “Sweetie, it’s on your swea-” You quickly placed a hand on his chest, assisting him away from her. “Don’t spoil her fun.” You smiled, having caught on to his game.</p><p>“You call <em><strong>this</strong></em> fun? A woodpecker pecking my eyes out would be more fun than this, and I would actually pay money for that.” A hardy laugh accidentally slipped through your lips, for which you had to arrest it with your hand against your mouth.</p><p><em><strike>Two points for the Stan man</strike></em>. <em>He would definitely have to keep this up later</em>.</p><p>“<em><strong>Stanford Pines, I am singin' my song</strong></em>!” Gideon threw his arms up in outrage, agitated that Stan continued to interrupt and taint his performance with his callous remarks. Bud ceased his playing at the piano, turning to spectate the widdle ‘ol tantrum his son was throwing.</p><p>Gideon held his hand to the turquoise stone he wore around his neck once more. In an instant, you found yourself seated back down, unable to open your mouth. It felt as though it had been sealed shut. Glancing over towards Stanley, you concluded he was experiencing similar circumstances. <em>What the hell? There was something darker going on backstage. Surely, you would have to investigate. </em></p><p>Clenching his tiny fists into balls, you examined as the child’s face grew to the shade of a tomato. With a deep inhale and exhale, the hue returned to normal. His once angered demeanor quickly reverted back to a joyful one. The music picked back up.</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <strong>"</strong>
    <em>So welcome all yee</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>To the Tent of Telepathy</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>And thanks for visiting</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>Widdle 'Ol Me</em>
    <strong>"</strong>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>As the curtains fell, the immense hold on you and Stan was relinquished. The two of you let out the breaths you had been holding onto. Retrieving air through your nose was not accommodating to the rapid beating of your heart the scare had gifted you with.</p><p>“That punk’s got something else comin’ to him.” Stan gave a nasty stare towards the stage, you were confused to say the least. Neither one of you were able to process much of what had just transpired as you followed Soos and the twins out of the auditorium.</p>
<hr/><p>“Man, that guy was an even bigger fraud than Stan.” Dipper commented towards his sister as they exchanged thoughts on the show. “Yeah, no wonder our uncle is jealous.” Mabel retorted with a laugh, tossing her empty popcorn container to the side.</p><p>“Kids, I wear glasses, not hearing aids- oh wait.” Stanley stole a glance at you, hoping to find you entertaining his jokes. Maybe you hadn’t heard him, you weren’t laughing. Instead, he found you reaching over to pick up Mabel’s trash to dispose of it properly.</p><p>Stan watched as you made your way towards Soos’ vehicle with the kids, he parted ways to reach his own before the thought occurred to him. Clearing his throat, he turned, hoping you hadn’t gotten in yet.</p><p>“Reader? Let me drive you home tonight.”</p><p>You turned to find a welcoming grin from the man. Although the tone in his voice suggested a concrete statement, you could see in his features that this was a plea. Feeling a pair of hands push you from behind in his direction, Mabel’s voice followed, “Go to him.” She whispered and you couldn’t help yourself but chuckle.</p><p>Slowly making your way towards Stan, you watched as he came to the passenger side of the vehicle, opening the door for you. A couple soda cans had taken their chance at freedom, toppling from the car. Picking them up, he tossed them into the back row before removing his fez and holding it at his chest to reveal the salt and pepper locks you adored. How charming.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>What are you doing</em>?<strong>"</strong> You asked hesitantly, not wanting to ruin his sentiment. It had been awhile since you had been treated like this, you couldn’t help but respond warily.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Is there something wrong with wantin’ to make sure a pretty lady get’s home safely</em>?<strong>"</strong></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Swept up {Flashback Pt. 1}</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Your knuckles tapped lightly at the door of the cabin, eliciting the porch light to turn on. Holding your hands together in an awkward stance, you awaited to be welcomed inside. The sounds of laughter were prevalent from behind the thick door, heavy footsteps approaching the porch where you stood eagerly. The twins must be having company over.</p><p>Previously, you had been invited on an impromptu excursion with Stanley, requesting your appearance at sunset.</p><p>The door peeled open, revealing your gruff friend. Light from the living room poured in from behind his shoulders. <strong>"</strong><em>Well, come on in,</em><strong>"</strong> He said with a light laugh, propping the door open a bit wider as an invite. With a gentle smile, you dusted the bottom of your boots from the snow that clung to them on the porch mat. <strong>"</strong><em>So, remind me again what we’re</em> <em>doing?</em><strong>"</strong></p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Tonight’s a full moon, which means there’ll be werewolves out and about. We’re gonna catch one so I can bring ‘em back here and train it to be a guard dog</em>.<strong>"</strong></p><p>
  <em>I’m sorry, what? A grown man was entertaining the idea that such creatures were real?</em>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Don’t you think that might be a little dangerous?</em><strong>" </strong>You taunted, but Stan seemed to take your concern seriously.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Of course, but don’t you want to try ‘n see for yourself? Life’s too short to live careful, Sunshine. But, if you’re too scared, you can always stay behind.<strong>"</strong></em>
</p><p>As ridiculous and absurd as the man’s ideas were, you had to admit they sounded riveting. The doubt that you would even see so much as a wolf was a prominent thought, but with the way Stanley lit up and delighted over the idea of having a fairytale creature as a pet, you felt like you ought to play along. It gave you an excuse to be with him.</p><p><strike><em>Alone. In the woods</em></strike>.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Are you kidding me? Of course, I want to come with-</em><strong>"</strong>An excited beam shot in your direction before Stanley proceeded, <strong>"</strong><em>Come on, there’s someone I want you to meet</em>.<strong>"</strong></p><p>That must have been the laughter you heard from earlier, it didn’t sound like it arose from the twins.</p><p>Rounding the corner with him, you were introduced to a woman who stood in the center of the shag carpeting, eyeing and playing around with the knick-knacks that occupied the shelves in the parlor. <strong>"</strong><em>This is Susan, met her a couple of days ago at the diner</em>.<strong>"</strong></p><p>
  <strong>Was he just meeting new girls left and right at that diner? </strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Hi, I’m Susan!</em><strong>"</strong> With a cordial grin, she stuck her hand out in front you, presenting you with her acquaintanceship. You took her hand in your own, each party giving a slight squeeze to the gesture. Stanley stood between the two of you, watching your exchange with a smile. Shyly, you looked over at him. From what he had previously told you over the phone, you had expected it would just be the two of you.</p><p>
  <em><strike>Alone. In the Woods</strike>.</em>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>It’s nice to meet you Susan, my name’s Reader. I expect you’re coming with us tonight</em>?<strong>"</strong></p><p><strong>"</strong><em>You betcha-</em><strong>"</strong> She replied in a ditzy tone.</p><p>Forcing a grin, you chuckled, <strong>"</strong><em>Great, the more the merrier, right?</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>Again, in your defense, you didn’t know there would be someone else accompanying you on your excursion with Stan, he had never mentioned anything about it.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Everybody ready to go? We’re losin’ daylight</em>.<strong>"</strong> Looking past Susan, you spectated as an eager Stanley swung his pack over his shoulders, straightening out his cold weather coat. Inside, he had filled the sack with a few water bottles, some bags of loose crackers, and a first aid kit. The team was all set to begin the journey. <strong>"</strong><em>Isn’t that what we want?</em><strong>"</strong> You questioned, receiving a chuckle from the group.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Precisely</em>,<strong>" </strong>A new voice introduced itself, it approached from around the corner. The group turned to find Stanford messing with a device as he approached. <strong>"</strong><em>If we’re going to be out wandering the woods this late in the day, we’ll want to be prepared for any circumstance. The creatures you meet out here at night aren’t exactly ‘welcoming’ of unfamiliar persons.</em><strong>"</strong> A focused stare was worn prominently as he fiddled around with the device, bearing resemblance to a handgun. It couldn’t be further from a standard handgun.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Tone down on the fun there, Sixer.</em><strong>"</strong> Stanley chuckled among himself, mocking his brother’s precautionary character. <strong>"</strong><em>And what makes you think you’re comin’ along with us?</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>Truthfully, Stan wanted to be the ‘man’ of the hour. He was aware that if his scholarly brother were to join, he would more than likely steal the spotlight with his extensive knowledge on the mysterious and dangers of the forest. Stanford was always the more interesting of the two, the one who received more praise in the end. This had become a sibling rivalry that only he fought.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Well</em>,<em> being as none of you carry much knowledge on the creatures that share this land, I figure it would be best that I come in case things get messy. Wouldn’t you agree?</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>
  <span><strong>"</strong><em>Heh, you sayin’ I can’t protect these two on my own?</em><strong>"</strong> Stanley proceeded to cross his arms, challenging his sibling. There was some weird alpha male complex you could sense from him, a character flaw you hadn’t seen much of before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span><strong>"</strong><em>Yes</em>,<strong>"</strong> Stanford replied bluntly. A click followed his remark as he shoved a vibrant glowing cartridge into the magazine of the gun, stashing it away at his hip.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You would have to inquire about this weapon later. It was unlike anything you had ever seen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <strong>"</strong>
    <em>Besides, whatever we find out there may be useful to my research.</em>
    <strong>"</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span><strong>"</strong><em>Yeah, yeah,</em><strong>"</strong> Stanley reluctantly budged, rolling his eyes in your direction. <strong>"</strong><em>Alright, you can come with us. Just try not to nerd up the fun</em>.<strong>"</strong></span>
</p><p>
  <span><em>Yeesh, there was certainly tension between the two</em>. Even if it was a bit one-sided. You couldn’t tell if it was the usual snippy banter that came with the territory or something more threatening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Exiting the shack into the crisp air, the group ventured into the thicket. You watched as dusk transitioned to night, life awakening in the forest. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know that it isn't canon to keep Ford in this timeline for as long as I have, so I apologize for that. Know that there is a plan for everything.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Swept up {Flashback Pt. 2}</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stanley led the group with Susan at his side, striking up and maintaining some easy conversation with her. You couldn't help but watch as the two of them shared in a few laughs. Figuring it would be the best alternative to hang back and allow them space to converse, you shoved your hands in your coat pockets. You and Stanford followed after the trail they led. He wasn't far behind you, participating in listening to his brother make a fool of himself for the new female. </p><p>Trudging behind them, the two of you were not far enough to where you weren't able to hear what they were talking about. You picked up on some of the trite jests Stan threw, recognizing a few of them as they were the same ones he used to tell you. You were beginning to sense the things he told you were just scripted. </p><p>
  <em>You were starting to conclude he was a one trick pony.</em>
</p><p>As much as you didn't want to admit to your eavesdropping, the two were fairly boisterous when talking. </p><p>In a case of the wrong footing, Susan's winter boot made contact with an unstable patch of ice. She began to teeter over, exclaiming, <strong>"</strong><em>Woah</em>-<strong>," </strong>in a sing-song tune. Susan held her arms out to grasp something nearby. Thankfully for her, Stanley swiftly pivoted to catch her against him. <strong>"</strong><em>I gotcha,</em><strong>" </strong>He said in a chuckle. </p><p>
  <em>There was that warm feeling again. Was it, jealousy? No, you had never been the type of woman. However, it felt so instinctual. At any rate, they were just friends. Yeah, you could convince yourself of that. </em>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Look at you, you strong guy. You must work out a lot.</em><strong>" </strong>Susan complimented Stanley's broad physique, her hand absentmindedly placed on his upper arm. Their eyes were met in a delight for one another's company before they straightened up and continued on their way. That had to be the simplest line in the book, but as you saw the look on Stan's face, he was a leech when it came to an ego boost. He was practically eating this up as he puffed out his chest. </p><p>
  <em>Just. Friends. You would beat it into your brain. </em>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Yeah, well, I usually start with curling dictionaries. It helps to give my arms some definition.</em><strong>" </strong>There was a moment of utter silence as Susan tried to decipher the code. Her eyes lit up when she understood the joke, putting her hands together in glee. A charismatic chortle was met with Stan's smile towards her. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Ya like that one? Get this. I was exercisin' at the gym the other day beside an older gentleman. He was workin' out with his personal trainer. Soon after, this foxy babe walks in and starts workin' out, herself. The older guy looks to his trainer and asks, 'What machine can I use to impress her.' The trainer replies 'The ATM in the lobby.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>As much as you didn't want to give him the satisfaction, it was an amusing story. However, once again, Susan was caught at the tongue for a response. This time, Stan decided to help her out. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Ya get it? Because women only want a man for his money.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Both you and Stanford flinched at the shoulders in unison as Susan erupted in a fit of maniacal laughter, greeting Stanley with a punch on the bicep. It was difficult to discern whether the woman was attempting to be flirtatious or if it was just her clueless persona.<strong> "</strong><em>You silly- you silly man,</em><strong>" </strong>she replied. </p><p>The oncoming tinge of jealousy quickly receded to second-hand embarrassment as the dense quips and overwhelming volume of laughter continued. Shifting your gaze over towards Stanford, he returned the annoyance, rolling his eyes towards you. It seemed it was bothering him just as much. </p><hr/><p>You couldn't help but stare between the two friends as they were hitting it off so nicely. Feeling your heart delve lower in your chest, you took note of every physical contact they made, every snort and giggle they shared. Perhaps, you had been reading too far into your relationship with him. You were embarrassed to say the least, by your silly predictions that the two of you were an object. It was apparent that you weren't the only woman he was keen about. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Is something the matter?</em><strong>"</strong> You swiveled your head to find Stanford had caught up to you, joining you at your side. He had noticed how quiet you had been. Being as he was used to spectating how well you and his brother talked to one another, he found it out of the ordinary. Had the new presence replaced you?</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Oh, no. Everything's fine. I'm just, listening for any movement in the woods that might indicate werewolves.</em><strong>" </strong>You felt silly saying that.</p><p>With the nod of his head, he mirrored an empathetic grin. Anyone could have seen through that thin facade. Stanford was not ignorant when it came to social situations, only a bit lacking in that area of expertise. <strong>"</strong><em>Would you let me know if there <strong>was</strong> something wrong?</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>The smile you wore grew into something more genuine. The two of you hadn't received the chance to become well acquianted. Between the night he rescued you from winter's icy clutches and drove you to the shack, and the moments you waved to him in passing, the man was typically no where to be found. Stanley claimed he was a mad scientist working day and night in his laboratory when, truthfully, he was just too timid to talk to you some days. </p><p>This was a nice gesture from him. Though, you hoped it wasn't obvious why you were upset. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Yeah, thank you Stanford. I appreciate it.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Ford-</em><strong>" </strong>He replied, softly. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Hm?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>You don't have to use my full name, Ford is just fine.</em><strong>" </strong>Stanford enjoyed the way you persisted in calling him by his full name, how it sounded so elegant from your tongue. He knew that by extending the offer for you to call him by his shortened name, it would allow the relationship to feel more intimate. Really, it was up to you, he wasn't going to insist on anything. He wanted for you to feel comfortable talking to him, to make certain that he was someone you could trust. That was why he asked if you would alert him when something was wrong. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Well, Ford, I'm sorry I've been so quiet. I guess I just haven't felt like myself.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>I think I can take a guess as to why that is,</em><strong>" </strong>He presented you with a cheeky grin, motioning towards Stanley and Susan. His teasing demeanor quickly vanished as he spectated your discomfort to his remark, how you sputtered and began tripping over your words.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>What? No! Stanley and I are just friends.</em><strong>" </strong>That statement hurt as it left your lips, you never knew how much you could desire someone. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Of course. I'm sorry for having meddled in your business.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><em>Perhaps, his predictions were wrong as well. For someone who took pride in being so observant, he found himself having come to the wrong conclusion all together. All those times Stanley mentioned you in conversation, the time he found the both of you slow dancing in the living room, or Stanley having taken you out to the water tower so he could confide in you.</em> </p><p>
  <em>Now that he thought about it, Stanley rarely did any of these things for women. He could have very well been making up stories and scenerios with you to make him seem like a stud. </em>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>There was no business to meddle in, anyway.</em><strong>" </strong>You dismissed his apology with the wave of your hand. Deciding to change the topic, you pointed towards the weapon he had stashed at the hip. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>So, what kind of a gun is that?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>I prefer to call it a Quantum Destabilizer. I made it myself, actually.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>How does it work?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><em>'S-She's interested?' </em>Stanford thought to himself in wonder. <em>Unlikely, woman weren't interested in him. Wouldn't she be more intrigued by Stanley, the man who could give her exhilirating rides in his car, take her out dancing, explore all the fun and risky things the world had to offer. </em>Sure, Stanley was currently occupied with talking to Susan, but the thought that you wanted to learn about his invention gave him a thrill not many people had. Definitely not his brother. He couldn't help but doubt when an attractive woman took interest in him. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Uh, well, you see-,</em><strong>" </strong>Ford began to explain the science behind his contraption to you, stumbling to find words as being giddy left him quite breathless. He nervously pushed up on the arch of his glasses to position them on the bridge of his nose. </p><p>
  <em>It was cute. </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>WhatNo!</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>You just didn't have the time nor energy to fool around with any more unwanted feelings, especially while the one's you carried for Stanley were being squashed and spit on right in front of you. You listened quietly, trying your best not to observe how well groomed he was, how mature his style sense was. The thought of Stanley and Susan wasn't one that bothered you much anymore now that you had someone to converse with. You were careful not to allow a petty jealousy fuel yourself. </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Ohboy.</em>
  </strong>
</p><hr/><p><strong>"</strong><em>Everything is made up of particles. They float in the air like waves around us and make up basic atoms. In order to understand Quantum energy, we must first familiarize ourselves with the 'photon'. A photon is a type of elementary particle, most commonly found in light and radio waves. They're produced when an electron falls from high energy to normal</em> <em>energy</em>-<strong>"</strong></p><p><strong>"</strong><em>What are you talkin' 'bout back there, Poindexter?</em><strong>" </strong>Stan and Susan had turned around from their leading positions to stare at you and Stanford.</p><p>With the way Ford so excitedly walked you through his terminology and scientific studies, it was Stan's turn to get jealous. The sibling competition was back, and he was more than ready to fight for first place. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Reader asked about my Quantum Destabilizer, so I'm explaining it to her.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Really? Why?</em><strong>" </strong>Stanley now directed his attention towards you, quizzical as to why you would be interested in hearing something so boring from someone so boring. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>It's fascinating!</em><strong>" </strong>You replied, truly enjoying listening until Stanley interrupted him.</p><p>The way Ford's features displayed his love for the scientific world, how you could see the gears spinning in his head, you were eager to listen to him teach. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Great, you're even talkin' like him now.</em><strong>" </strong>Stan huffed and, to this, Stanford stepped in. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Stanley, leave the poor woman alone. She just wanted to learn.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Ford, it's</em> <em>alright.</em><strong>" </strong>You smiled softly at him, patting the side of his arm. You knew when your presence was no longer wanted. As much as you desired to hear the rest of what he had to say about his contraption, you felt it was best to turn in. It was late, and you were cold from being out in the snow for so long. <strong>"</strong><em>You know what, I think I'm going to head back. I'm not feeling so great.</em><strong>"</strong></p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Perhaps, I should go with you. The woods are dangerous at night, Stanley and Susan will be fine on their own</em>.<strong>"</strong></p><p>You nodded, gratefully accepting his offer.</p><p><strong>"<em>Aha</em>! </strong><em>So you do think I could protect these two on my own.</em><strong>" </strong>Stan said proudly. </p><hr/><p>The two of you had been on the way to the shack, trying to navigate the trail home for a while. Stanley and Susan were out who knows where doing who knows what. <em>You truly didn't want to think about it. </em></p><p>With the full moon out guiding the way and a flashlight nestled in Ford's hand, you were able to see just fine. Unfortunately, the woods you stood surrounded in were so dense and thick, the trees all looking the same. You had no landmarks to travel by, any footprints you had created on the way up now covered in the falling snow. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Are we lost?</em><strong>" </strong>You finally asked, pondering if you had seen that exact shaped rock previously or if you may be going crazy at the moment. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>I'm afraid so.</em><strong>" </strong>Stanford retrieved a compass from his backpack, thumping it with his thumb a few times to gain a quicker read. <strong>"</strong><em>Let's see, we were traveling East of the shack when we left, which would mean we would have to come back opposite. But with all the detours we've made, ugh, come on-</em><strong>" </strong>He griped among himself, now thwacking the compass in a frustrated response.</p><p>As he turned around in a full circle, his eyes landed on you. Even if you weren't verbalizing your discomfort, he could clearly see it. You were trembling in the snow. <em>Oh. </em>Stanford quickly dropped his pack from his shoulders, removing his long coat along with it. He approached your unknowing form, holding out his coat before wrapping it tightly around your shoulders. It was a weird sensation, he knew little to nothing about you and yet he could suffer for you. With his fingers, Ford fastened the top button. Almost instinctively, his hands dropped onto your shoulders. <strong>"</strong><em>Are you alright, Reader?</em><strong>" </strong></p><p>You were startled as he placed the coat around your figure, meeting his gaze. Features softened as you did so.</p><p>
  <em>Ford observed the scene. You looked so, well, adorable in the snow. Ford found himself in a flustered stupor. Strands of loose hair falling over your face. Maybe, he could brush it aside, No! The two of you didn't know each other well, such actions would be inappropriate. </em>
</p><p>You nodded your head, looking uncertain of anything. He removed his grasp from your shoulder, awkwardly releasing a sigh as he stepped away. </p><p>Stanford muttered a few more things to himself as he turned away. Watching after him as he walked, you were broken from your trance when something huffed heavily and moved among the thicket behind you. Hastily and with fear, you turned around to identify the unknown presence. It was too dark to make out any facial or body features but as your eyes became more acclimated to the shadows, you could identify a large mass creeping towards you. <strong>"</strong><em>Ford?</em><strong>" </strong>You called out in something just above a whisper. Meanwhile, Ford was busy trying to figure out the navigation route, having walked some ways from you. </p><p>The creature moved closer to you and you were now able to see it towering over you, still veiled by the dark. Horns were placed on either side of it's head, a massive torso to go with arms the size of the redwood trees themselves. You were now becoming desperate as you scrambled to your feet, petrified with fear. It was as if you couldn't break your stare. <strong>"</strong><em>Stanford?</em><strong>" </strong></p><p>In one swift motion, you were hauled into the thick brush, and firm hand clasped over your mouth to keep you quiet. Your scream was muffled, squirming beneath the creatures grasp. As the beast attempted to sling you over it's back, you thumped your head hard against a large boulder. </p><p>
  <em>Lights out.</em>
</p><p>Ford had heard you calling for him, turning around when he heard no answer to his response.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Reader?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Swept up {Flashback Pt. 3}</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Your eyes fluttered beneath the harsh glare of light as it flickered over enlarged and dull pupils, the vibrant gleam alternating. A thumb kept your eyelid from shutting. By the dilation and rapid movements, Ford could gather that you were returning to a conscious state. He examined your form as you fought to wake up. Running a few standard tests to conclude everything was in optimal condition, at least for the time being, he snapped his fingers beside your ear. He then transitioned to the other side to do the same. You turned your attention towards the sounds as shapes and figures reintroduced themselves. A glazed look clouded your eyes, blinking the haze off. Your head soon fell forward in exhaustion, the muscles of your neck straining to operate after being abruptly shut down.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Easy, don't exert yourself over what's necessary. Let's just focus on waking up</em>.<strong>" </strong></p><p>A hand came up to rest at the back of your neck to stabilize you, the other at your forehead. The voice was familiar, and you searched every file in your mind for who it belonged to. However, this seemed impossible as you grasped to control your senses again.</p><p>As you were finally able to categorize the voice, a distressed hum left your lips in place of his name. </p><p>Ford's thumb punched the tip of the pen light he held, not wanting to irritate you with harsh light as you were brought back to earth. You were beginning to stir more commonly, motions ever so slightly becoming fluid. Muscles were tense and taught against the bindings that tethered you to a protruding rock. You were too drained of energy to know what to do with yourself, simple movements proving to be far too difficult. A hand was pressed up at the side of your face, course fingers dragging across the skin of your cheeks and easing into a gentle motion. This, Stanford did to assist in a peaceful arrival back to complete wakefulness, as if you were returning from a nap. Though you would be experiencing pain, he hoped to alleviate the worry with a familiar presence. </p><p>After a moment, he slowly dipped your head forward. Pushing the strands of hair aside, the pen light shone at your scalp as Stanford sought for any sign of an abrasion or cut to your head. A little dried blood but nothing alarming. Locating the cut, he gathered the damage. Truthfully, it wasn't as bad as it could've been. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Everything will be fine. Are you able to hear me?</em>
  <strong>" </strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Uh-</em><strong>" </strong>The comatose was gradually retreating, leaving behind a throbbing headache and sore limbs from being manhandled the way you were. With a muddled look, you scanned your surroundings. You still weren't able to make much sense to the scene. It was dark. Instinctively, you wanted to bring your hand up to aid the pain in your head. You found they were bound behind your back. </p><p>Ford placed his hand in yours to study how you would respond. To his contentment, your fingers curled and twitched in reflex to the touch. It appeared as though your brain was sending the correct messages to your muscles, this was a good sign. Now, it was time to examine the temporal lobe for any possible memory loss. Being as you seemed responsive, he was sure this wouldn't be too much of an ordeal.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Are you able to talk?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Yeah,</em><strong>" </strong>you replied, your focus fixed on his crouching form in front of you. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Good. Can you tall me what your name is?</em>
  <strong>" </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Reader?</em>
  <strong>" </strong>
</p><p>There was a trace of question lingering in your response, for which Ford justified himself.</p><p>Surely, you were confused. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>I know it may seem like a stupid question, but I have to assess your head injury and make sure it's nothing that requires immediate and urgent care. Would you mind answering a few more questions for me? I'm going to get you out of these ropes.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>You nodded subtly as any sudden movements or change in direction was sure to make you nauseous. Never mind where you were or why you were bound to a large stone. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Where do you live?</em><strong>" </strong>He proceeded, for which you told him your address without much problem. You made certain you wouldn't forget after having gotten lost the last time. Regarding how you were feeling now, you were pretty prideful you could accurately answer his question. His hands were nimble as they made quick work at the ropes, frigid fingers brushing over yours. </p><p>As the itchy material of the ropes slid over the raw skin of your wrists, you winced. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Do you have a significant other we might be able to contact? A husband or wife, perhaps?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>The nature of his question didn't occur to you, focusing on getting your bearings straight. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Uh, no. No, I don't.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>He immediately regretted that decision to ask. Even if it was out of curiosity and to make certain he wouldn't be considering pursuing someone who was already taken, how could he have asked such an inappropriate question at a time like this. He only hoped you hadn't taken offense to his inquiry, moving on to a different question. </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Do you think you can stand? I think it's about time we left.</em>
  <strong>" </strong>
</p><p>The ropes were compiled in a limp mess around you. Being released from the pressure, you raised your hands up to your chest and massaged into the chapped flesh of your wrists. With a nod, you attempted your ascent, but not without Stanford's assistance. Placing his forearm on his knee, Ford rose from the crouched position he was in and into one where he could help prop you up. You were a bit wobbly on your feet, but you could deal with that. Now, you had questions for Stanford to answer. </p><p>
  <em>
    <strike>Was. Was he the one who tied you up?</strike>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yikes, surely not. Then who? And what? </em>
</p><p>The headache was worsening as you persisted in making sense of your predicament. </p><p>The image of what you witnessed just before you blacked out evaded you. Did it have horns, and a pair of hooves? How big was it? It bared the resemblance of a man but, not a man at the same time. You dismissed these details. Darkness often played tricks on the eyes. It all happened so quickly too, how could you be sure it wasn't just a wild animal? </p><p>
  <strike>Or a kidnapper.</strike>
</p><p>You followed Ford as he navigated the path out. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Where are we?</em>
  <strong>" </strong>
</p><p>There was a brief silence as he attempted to make sense of the surroundings. He had noticed on the way in that it was quite the primal abode, but just contemporary enough to suggest that an intelligent tribe occupied the cave. Shadows played along the stone walls, deep and ominous voices echoing through the  the two of you assuming a low profile behind some of the surrounding rocks that jutted from the ground. As the figures became more defined, it became clear what you were up against. Ford's voice lowered just beneath a mumble as he responded. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>I believe we're in the Manotaurs cavern.</em><strong>"</strong> He motioned his hand towards you to continue following him, but your ears were eager to listen to the grunts and notes of aggressive quarreling. You shook it off as hazy imagination, proceeding to crawl behind Ford as he called to you more urgently. You grew more anxious at his insistence, in your own world of thought.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Oh, right, of course.</em><strong>" </strong>Stillness came over you as the response settled in. You weren't certain you heard him correctly. <strong>"</strong><em>I'm sorry, the <strong>what</strong>?</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>Turning around with haste, Ford raised a finger to his lips, signaling that you lower your tone. </p><p>Now you were truly concerned. What was going on?</p><p>It had never become quite as apparent to Stanford as it did in this moment that you hadn't had much experience with the supernatural. Had Stanley mentioned anything to you about this towns strange and mysterious occurrences? If not, now wasn't a great time to familiarize yourself with the concept. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>You- You're still fairly new to Gravity Falls, aren't you?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>That didn't settle your nerves.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>I would keep an open mind to the unknown of this town, if I were you.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Your features contorted to match your confusion and consternation. </p><p>Stanford ran a hand over his face, removing his spectacles to massage at his eyes. How could he explain it to you in a way that wouldn't startle? He had to start somewhere. Though he feared his sense of providing a precise answer clouded his ability to be sensitive with his words, he could see that you weren't budging until you were given some kind of answer. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Let's back up here, Manotaurs? Did I hear you correctly? Like- Centaurs? Half man, half horse?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>He nodded, correcting you. <strong>"</strong><em>Half man, half bull.</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>You couldn't help but chuckle. Though you would never verbalize your thoughts, you concluded that Stanford, perhaps, had a screw or two loose.</p><p>You allowed your mouth to run a little too long. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Do you also believe in Santa Clause? How about the Tooth Fairy? Easter</em> Bunny?<strong>"</strong></p><p>Ford grew immensely silent, it didn't take him long to figure out you were taunting him. The object of his silence, however, shifted as something new arrived behind you. It lurked out of the darkness of the cavern tunnel, dressed in alluring red eyes and flaring nostrils. He stumbled backwards on his hands. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>What? Was it something I said? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have teased you the way I did. That wasn't kind of me. I just, it's been a weird evening and nothing is making sense. I only think this small town may be getting to your head. Manotaurs? That stuff is make believe.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>All the while you were rambling, Stanford kept his eyes on the approaching beast. With wide, frantic eyes, he tried to get your attention and wordlessly inform you of danger. When you weren't catching on, he decided to verbally alert you. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Do you hear me? I'm sorr-</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Reader!</em><strong>" </strong>He resorted to a strict yell.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>What? What is it?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>You traced the man's gaze from the ground up. With furrowed eyebrows and a tense new sensation on the brain, you slowly turned around to greet whatever he was gawking at. Your eyes met a pair of massive thighs and you weren't eager to discover the face that was attached to them. However, your curiosity led the way. Gazing up the height of the beast, you found it towering over you. Red orbs. Flaring nostrils tied together by a golden ring. Nostrils seemed to secrete a white cloud as they huffed out. </p><p>Hair was tossed back in the wind created by the bull-man. You shut your eyes. </p><p>
  <strike>Why does its breath smell like beef jerky? </strike>
</p><p>Opening your eyes, you stood your ground ignorantly. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Ford?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Yes?</em><strong>" </strong>He replied, still on the ground. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>I believe you now.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>As the two of you jumped from your places, you considered running. Two toned hands came to lay on your heads, thick fingers tangling into your hair. The both of you were pulled away into the depths of the cave, cries for help leaving your mouths. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Swept up {Flashback Pt. 4}</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Should we be nervous right now?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Everything will be fine. I've encountered these creatures a time or two. Although they seem incredibly intimidating on the outside, they're fairly pacifistic beings. So long as we don't challenge their masculinity, they should leave us alone. That's something they're quite sensitive about.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Pacifists? They dragged me through the woods, unconscious, bound me to a rock, and need I remind you of the predicament we're in now?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Raising your hands the best you were able beneath the weight of the steel cuffs, you gave the chains a yank, extracting a jarring yelp from them. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Yes, well-,</em>
  <strong>" </strong>
</p><p>Ford quickly ceased conversation with you as the clan dispersed. Likewise, you tore your eyes off of his and watched as the largest of the Manotaurs made their way in front of the pack towards the precipice where the two of you were chained. The ground rumbled and quaked beneath your feet as he approached, line of sight leveled with your own. </p><p>Stanford turned to mutter.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Let me handle the talking, just follow my lead.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>As the Manotaur awaited an explanation as to your unwelcomed presence, Ford cleared his throat. You hoped that whatever he were about to say would ease the tension and allow the two of you release. You looked down as the beast seemed to cut daggers with it's eyes.</p><p>
  <em>You had to be dreaming. You must still be experiencing comatose, that was the only logical reason for this. Manotaurs aren't real, neither are werewolves, or mermaids or anything else for that matter. </em>
</p><p>As terrified and hopelessly confused as you were, this was all so intriguing. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>We don't want any trouble, now. Let us go and we'll be on our way.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>An angered huff escaped the Manotaurs' flared nostrils, finding him as he shoved his face only inches from your own. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Silence, Thief.</em>
  <strong>" </strong>
</p><p>He spoke in a resounding roar, showcasing giant and unhygienic teeth. You feared it wouldn't be long before you wound up in it's toothy jail. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>How can you expect us to trust you after you attempted to steal our Queen? If we let you go, how would we know you wouldn't take her out from under us?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Queen? Was there someone else in this cave that Ford had attempted to free? At the moment, it was only the two of you. Was he referring to yourself?</em>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>On the contrary, I believe you stole </em><em><strong>my</strong></em> <em>friend first.</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>Stanford bravely stepped up to the plate, not about to loose this exchange. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Well, hang on. Queen? Heh, sounds like someone's finally recognizing my worth around here.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Neither one paid much attention to your remark, but you couldn't help yourself. If your hands weren't confined by the shackles tying them down by your hips, now would've been the prime moment to brush your hair past your shoulder. Instead, you resorted to a smirk. Likewise, if Stanford had the privilege to move his limbs, he would place his head in his hand out of pure embarrassment. </p><p>He didn't need to voice anything, you could hear his reprimand as he shot you a quick glance. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>As I was saying- this isn't up for debate. She's coming back with me, and that's final.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>An enormous fist came into contact beside the two, causing you to tremble from the aftershock of its' wake. Eyes going wide, your posture stiffened. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>And what if I say no?</em><strong>" </strong>The beast grumbled.</p><p>There was hesitancy in Ford's movements as he ever so slightly brushed his hand back towards the quantum destabilizer tucked at his hip. It was your turn to step in, even though you were advised against it. You figured Ford may need a distraction present while he produced the weapon. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Gentlemen. As the Queen, or Queen-to-be, don't I get the final say?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Actually-,</em><strong>" </strong>One of the surrounding creatures piped up, extending his arm to gesture towards an elderly, hunched over Manotaur. <strong>"</strong><em>He does, but go ahead.</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>
  <em>Well, you were glad you were getting out of this one. </em>
</p><p><strong>"</strong>As your Queen, it is my command that you allow my friend and I to leave this cave. We don't want to be here any longer.<strong>"</strong></p><p>The room erupted in a symphony of bellowing laughter, causing you to stiffen in surprise of the sudden change of atmosphere. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>What? What's so funny?</em><strong>" </strong>You became more stubborn as the sounds of amusement increased. It took a moment before you were given an answer. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>You're not going anywhere, and neither is he. Don't waste my time with your orders and commands, silly girl.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Leaning towards you, the beast let out a huff. Your hair was sent back in a gust of warm wind. As the group of Manotaurs continued in their laughter, you felt a fire burn within you. <em>Silly girl. </em>It was such a trite taunt but it stung. Stanford was still too preoccupied in trying to get hold of the gun to assist in your fury. As you growled and stamped your foot, however, you caught his attention. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Reader, whatever you're about to say, don't. Please.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>The voice that came out of your mouth was unfamiliar as it challenged the creatures and reverberated through the cave. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Now, I know I didn't hear you correctly. Did you just tell me <strong>no</strong>?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>A sigh escaped Ford as he clenched his eyelids shut. The group of Manotaurs drew their attention back to you. Surely, this was the end. Unbeknown to Stanford, you had concluded that if you were to be the chosen Queen of the creatures, you would be the rudest, most ungrateful and sour Queen they had ever known.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>When I give you an order, you follow it. Do you hear me? Or are you as deaf as you are dumb? Let's try this again, my friend and I <strong>don't </strong>want to be here anymore.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>You wished you could have bit off your tongue in that moment, why did your mouth have to be so big? You had been pushed to your limit, the evening having not been what you expected of it in the slightest. However, the reaction from the Manotaurs was not what you had predicted. They were all staring at you through wide eyes, and upon further examination, you realized you had managed to retrieve the quantum destabilizer from Stanford. Even he was gawking at you in uncertainty as you aimed it towards the bunch. You had silenced them. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Reader? Alright, I understand you're agitated. Don't do anything stupid.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Ford wore a worrisome look that mirrored the Manotaurs, struggling amidst the chains to try and calm you down. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>You don't know how to use that, it's extremely dangerous. Hand it to me, gently now.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strike>But you just couldn't help the high you were experiencing having the upper hand. </strike>
</p><p>
  <em>This had to be a dream, right? You had already solidified that notion. Okay. Then it wouldn't hurt to do this.</em>
</p><p>You made the reckless, impulsive decision of allowing your finger to apply pressure to the trigger. </p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>Boom!</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>The dimness of the cave erupted into a frenzy of light, the shade of blue and green. Fortunately, the recoil from energy relinquished only made contact with the rocks and stones.</p><p>The ground trembled beneath and around you. Lifting your gaze upwards, you witnessed the cavity begin to crumble in on itself. The high had retreated some time ago, leaving room for only panic. How could you have been so irresponsible?</p><p>
  <em>Maybe you weren't dreaming after all. Oops.</em>
</p><p>In the time it took for you to acknowledge what kind of grave danger you had put everyone into, Ford had taken the weapon and pressed it firmly against the chains. The steel began to dissolve as energy seared the material. He moved swiftly to your rescue to set you free from your imprisonment. Without a moment to spare, Ford took hold of your hand and dragged you along with him towards any exit he was able to locate. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>What's happening? What did I do?</em>
  <strong>" </strong>
</p><p>The two of you stumbled, catching yourself on the ground with your faces against the stones. You were just in time to roll you and Ford out of the way of a chunk of rock headed your way from above. Rising to your feet, you dusted yourself off and continued running.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Remember what I said to you about photons? The amount of energy in just one of those blasts is enough to send mountains crumbling, let alone a small cavern.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>By this time, the Manotaurs were no were to be spotted, having retreated as quickly as possible.</p><p>You had time to feel shame for your actions later, your livelihoods were at stake. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Over here,</em><strong>" </strong>You shouted, dragging Ford with you.</p><p>The two of you lunged out of the cavern and into a bank of snow just as the opening became blocked off with boulders and heavy stone. Catching your breath, the two of you laid back in utter disbelief that you were still alive. </p><hr/><p>Words were not exchanged much as you and Stanford made your way to the shack. He was now able to clearly map out the route you needed to take to get back home. The two of you were attempting to process everything that had just happened. Every once in a while, Ford would exchange sentiments such as, "Are you alright?", which would warrant a nod of the head from you. The guilt and utter embarrassment you felt held your tongue in place. </p><p>
  <em>Why was he so genuinely concerned about you? You deserved to be reprimanded, given the silent treatment. Had a stone hit him square on the head?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>How were you going to explain yourself? That you thought this was all just a fever dream and that, therefore, your actions wouldn't have consequences? Surely, Ford wouldn't buy that.</em>
</p><p>As you were finally able to catch up with the present, you cleared your throat.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Ford? I owe you an apology. What I did was reckless, irresponsible, and stupid. I got ahead of myself and didn't think. I'm sorry.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Stanford was silent. The only sound you heard in response was the crunching of snow beneath your boots.</p><p>
  <em>This is it. He's going to give it to you now.</em>
</p><p>He laughed, a throaty chuckle that bubbled from a place of relief. You had been so quiet, he was worried you may have been traumatized by the events that unfolded.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Was it stupid? Yes. But we made it out alive, didn't we? I think that's a means to be happy.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>You were wary of his reaction, to say the least.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>But-</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Reader, I don't blame you one bit. You were scared, confused, probably exhausted. I figured you were acting out of those emotions.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>"<em>Yeah-</em><strong>" </strong>You murmured in a huff, walking alongside the man. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>I'm honestly surprised you didn't have a heart attack. You've never come in contact with the oddities of Gravity Falls, or so it seems. I'm inclined to say, you did quite well for your first time.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Was that a compliment?</em>
</p><p><em>You weren't sure anymore. </em>There were so many questions swarming your mind over the evening, you weren't sure where to begin, or if you even wanted to. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>So, after tonight, seeing as that wasn't just a dream- I guess werewolves are also real?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Stanford smiled at you, having wondered when you would prod him for answers.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>I haven't seen any yet, but I also can't disprove their existence.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>I assume your brother knows about- all of this?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong>Well,<em> of course. Who do you think is telling him all these things?</em><strong>" </strong></p><p>Ford sported a cheeky grin as he pushed past the brush, holding it aside for you to walk through.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>So, you're some kind of an expert on mythological creatures?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>An expert in training is more like it. I research and document my findings of the paranormal specimen I come across. I've been writing it all down in a notebook for future scientists and researchers to utilize.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>I suppose that's what you went to college for. I didn't know they had a major for mythical investigation.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Was that the right name for it?</em>
</p><p><strong>"</strong>They don't. My colleague and I are the first of our kind. He's in town as well, working with me.<strong>"</strong></p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>I think I've seen him come out of the shack a time or two. Big nose, hazel hair, skinny?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>This brought forth a laugh from Ford as he nodded his head. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>I'll have to let him know that's the impression he left on you.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>He teased and you chuckled along. </p><hr/><p>As the two of you approached the shack, Stanley watched from the window, making himself scarce as your figures came closer. It was late, Susan was long gone, and he had grown worried. Exiting the cabin and out onto the porch, he greeted you with his arms crossed over his chest.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>And where have you two been? It's almost two in the morning.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Ford motioned his arm for you to enter the shack first, following in after you with Stanley bringing up the rear. Taking off his coat, he stomped the snow off of his boots before slipping out of those as well. You had begun to make your way to the kitchen. At this point, the shack was a second home to you. Normally, you would have felt anxious to "make yourself at home" but Stan often insisted that you do. You were exhausted, overwhelmed, and needed a hot beverage to ease your mind. Walking home would come later, and with luck, you may be able to rest on sofa for the night. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>You won't believe what happened Stanley, a Manotaur came out of the woods and took her away. She was so brave and heroic and-</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>You put her in danger?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Ford had become so wrapped up in talking fondly of your adventure that the parental tone in Stan's voice shocked him. Truthfully, Stan would have loved to hear the rest of the story, but not from his brother. The two of you could have been doing who knows what for all he knew about, he refused to humor the idea.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Of course not. I-I could never do that to her-</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>It seemed their was some jealousy that still lingered in Stanley's mind, he was protective to a fault, bordering possessiveness. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>I assume Susan went home?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Stanley turned to glance over his shoulder, on the prowl for you before he returned to acknowledge his brother's question. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Yeah. To tell you the truth, she was getting on my nerves.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Well, how about your hunt for werewolves? Did you have any luck?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Hah, turns out I was walkin' with one all along. Woman's got one hell of a hairy upper lip-</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Stan smacked his brother on the arm as if to share in the joke, however, Ford ignored it and turned away to join you in the kitchen, he was stopped before he could get very far. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>So, she was brave, huh?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Ford returned his gaze back to his brother, this time wearing a taunting smile. He knew something was up, it didn't take a genius to come to that conclusion.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>If you're interested, why don't you ask her for the story? I know you would rather listen to her tell it.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>What? No, I-</em><strong>" </strong>He sputtered, his hand going to cup the back of his neck. Both of the brother's shared in this nervous tick.</p><p>It was time to get to the bottom of this. Stanford didn't want to fuel the flames of another sibling rivalry, it was best to get this sorted out now. Especially while you weren't present. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Are you interested in her?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>At this, Stanley's posture went rigid. They had discussed so many things, even fought, but it was never over anything as trivial as the attention of a woman. </p><p>"<em>Uh-</em><strong>" </strong>He was lost for words.</p><p>Ford began to push, and as taunting as it may have come across, he was serious. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Well, then I suppose you wouldn't mind if I asked her out on a date?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Yes, I like her.</em><strong>" </strong>Stanley admitted, finally relieving himself of the weight he carried. He caught onto the drift his brother was laying down. <strong>"</strong>But I suppose if you're wantin' to, we'll have to let her pick for herself.<strong>"</strong></p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>No, you're right. It would only be fair to let her make the decision.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Then it's settled,</em><strong>" </strong>Stanley held out his hand before shaking Ford's. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>May the best man win.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Addressing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The drive home consisted of little conversation. In attempts to fill the silence, Stanley had lowered all the windows of the car as well as turned up the radio. It wasn't exactly how you had envisioned the journey to flow but you didn't protest. Occasionally, a remark was made on the tune playing or the color and scent of the trees you were all too familiar with. It was small talk but the two of you enjoyed the time you were given. </p><p>With your arm propped up along the windowsill, you leaned your head against it to meet the warm summer breeze. Every once in a while, you offered instructions on where you were heading. He would nod. Stanley proceeded to steal a glance in your direction, smiling as he returned his eyes to the road. This was how the end of the evening went. </p><p>Although no words were exchanged, the both of you had everything on your mind. What was so caught in your throat that you just weren't able to spit it out? How could you pick back up where you left off before Gideon's tour bus interrupted? It seemed he had already apologized, or was going to finish? Perhaps, you were being too stingy or expecting too much. You owed him just as much of an apology for your lack of grace in the feud. The two of you would allow things to play out.</p>
<hr/><p><strong>"</strong><em>Thanks for the lift. I appreciate it.</em><strong>" </strong>You turned to acknowledge him with a grateful smile. He returned the favor as he shifted the gears of the car to park, cutting the headlights so he wasn't intruding on the privacy of the house. Everyone seemed to be asleep, only the porch light was on. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>I-Is this where yer livin'?</em><strong>" </strong>Stan was able to identify the house, yet his memory seemed to fail him on who it belonged to. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>You kicked me out. Where else was I supposed to go? You remember Sandra and Dan, right? They've been nice enough to let me stay while I get back on my feet.</em><strong>" </strong>The overall tone in your voice was nonchalant, although it carried a twinge of hurt. This was not your home. This was a temporary situation. The living arrangements felt so strange and peculiar, even Stan sat in his discomfort. The gravity of it all had finally settled. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Oh-,</em><strong>" </strong>was all he could manage to say as he spectated the house before the both of you. His attention was dragged away as you began opening the door on the passenger side. He took note that you still wore your wedding band.</p><p>With a thick and almost forced swallow, he placed his hand on your forearm. </p><p>Something was on his mind. Lately, it was a rarity for his thoughts to be barren, especially when you were present. </p><p>Turning your attention to Stan, you remained quiet. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>I can't do this anymore-,</em><strong>" </strong>He muttered bluntly, certainty etched in his brow.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Do what?</em><strong>" </strong>You pondered, concerned.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Sleep in a bed without</em> ya.<strong>" </strong>Stan shifted in his seat so he was able to see you more clearly, his eyes fixed on yours for a moment before lowering them to his lap. You intimidated him without meaning to, it was a power he both resented and admired you for. No one intimidated Stanley Pines. <strong>"</strong><em>Listen, I know it's a bit forward, given everything we've been through in the past month. But I can't pretend like this doesn't break my heart. So, whatdya say? Will you get your things and come home with</em> <em>me?</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>You were at a loss for words, though you felt like you may as well have been dreaming. </p><p>Stan took this silence, uncomfortably. He couldn't tell if you were on the same page as him. In all fairness, you did have the right to give him an ear full. <strong>'</strong><em>Oh? You're ready to invite me back to </em><em><strong>my </strong></em>house? How gracious of you<em>,</em><strong>' </strong>is what he expected. Your response took him by surprise to say the least.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Yes. I would like that very much.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>It took strength to keep him from jumping up in his seat and smothering you in an embrace. His posture rose from it's usual stiffness, a hopeful grin appearing on his lips. You had the same one on yours, experiencing the same sensation of anticipation. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Just give me a minute. I won't be long.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Need any help?</em><strong>" </strong>Stan offered, eagerly.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>No, I'll be just fine.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Presenting you with an understanding nod, he followed his gaze on you as you entered the house. It was a shot in the dark he was glad he took and one you were happy to accept.</p>
<hr/><p>Bags had been packed and stored in the trunk of the station wagon. You returned to your place at the passenger seat, bringing the seat belt over your chest and lap. Pebbles crumbled under the weight of the tires as the two of you began the drive to the shack. </p><p>You had made certain to inform your friend of the sudden yet exciting change of events, finding her at the breakfast nook. It wasn't peculiar that she stayed up in the early hours of the night to make sure you got home safely. You couldn't depart without thanking her and the Mister dearly for their kindness. She had been there through the thick of it, insisting on staying up with you during the hard nights of sleeplessness. They had made you meals on the days when you felt like you couldn't get up and move out of paralyzing hurt. Really, they had nursed you back to health. Letting her know personally was the least you could do. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>You know, you're always welcome here,</em><strong>" </strong>was her kind phrasing.</p>
<hr/><p>You were home now. This was the home you knew so well and had missed occupying. </p><p>Stanley graciously picked up your bags from the trunk and brought them indoors. Following him inside, it took you a moment to realize why the shack was so quiet. After all, it was later in the evening now. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>The kids probably put themselves to bed,</em><strong>" </strong>Stan mentioned with a grin as he began hoisting your bags up the flights of stairs. Turning back to look at you as he didn't hear the expected creak of the floorboards from behind him, he noticed that you looked reflective. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>What's wrong?</em><strong>" </strong>He asked.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Nothing. I don't know, I just really missed home.</em><strong>" </strong>You were truthful in your response, no intention of malice or shame behind your statement. However, Stan felt awful, looking down as he cleared away his throat. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Come upstairs whenever you're ready.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>It didn't take long for you to accept his invitation, though you stood a moment longer to take in your surroundings. You were all too familiar with the charming interior of the shack, somehow, it held new life to it this time. </p><p>Entering your shared bedroom, you watched as Stan proceeded to store your clothes in drawers and in the empty spaces of the closet walls. Nothing had changed, from what you could see. In fact, you could have sworn you left that glass of water on the nightstand a month ago. <em>Gross.</em> Either he was just lazy or he wanted to preserve things the way they had been. The bed still wore it's indentation of where he normally took. It seemed nothing had been rearranged or eliminated. It was comforting to see. </p><p>As Stanley finished up the task, he joined you where you stood. Taking your hand in his or bringing your head close to press a kiss to your forehead didn't seem appropriate at a time like this. He knew the trust between you and him was, perhaps, still fragile. He was aware there would need to be some work set in place to get things back to where they used to be, or a form of that. Stan was just happy to have you back in the home. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Well</em>,<em> uh, if you need anything, just let me know? But, I guess that's not necessary, you know where everything is-,</em><strong>" </strong>he said as he began making his way towards the hallway outside of the bedroom. Stan had bundled up a blanket and pillow to take along with him. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Where are you going?</em>
  <strong>" </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>I-I thought it might make ya uncomfortable to sleep in the bed with ya. I'm gonna set up camp on the armchair downstairs.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>You can sleep in the bed-</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>No, I'll be alright. Promise,</em><strong>" </strong>he assured before turning once again to make his way out the door. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Please, Stanley?</em><strong>" </strong>He stopped at your request, a wide grin forming on his face that he refused to let you see. Your plea filled him with more delight than you knew. Your eyes quickly met the floor as he attempted to make eye contact. You hadn't meant for it to sound so desperate, but it did. Sharing the bed was a luxury you discovered you missed. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>I'd be happy to,</em><strong>" </strong>he took a moment to compose himself before answering. Stan made his way back to the bed, laying down the spare blanket and returning his pillow. </p>
<hr/><p>There the two of you were. Laying next to each other but with enough space between you that Stan was halfway off the mattress. Why did this feel so awkward? The two of you hadn't been apart for that long. Yet, there you were, staring up at the dark space above you with your hands folded neatly over your chest. You were inclined to admit how exciting this was to you, but also how nerve-wracking. You couldn't sleep because of it. The room was too dim to look over and see what Stan was doing. You assumed that his silence meant he was asleep. You could tell his back was turned towards you. </p><p>Little to your knowledge, he was rehearsing various ways to go about an apology. Eager to seize the opportunity he had now. No distractions, no kids, he was ready to talk. </p><p>Just before he could open his mouth, however, you had stirred from your place on the bed to get up and venture towards the kitchen in search of water. He was willing to take this time to let you be before following you. </p><p>Entering the kitchen, Stan found you sitting at the table, taking sips of water from the glass you held. You seemed lost in thought as your gaze rested on the window. </p><p>Cautious not to startle you, though knowing his attempts may be futile, Stan began to make his way over to you. He cleared his throat gently, making his presence known. <strong>"</strong><em>Trouble sleeping?</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>Sure enough, your shoulders jumped, head turning back to look at him. This extracted a chuckle from him, and one from you as well. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Yeah,</em><strong>"</strong> you replied, honestly. Absentmindedly, you began tapping your fingernails against the glass. <strong>"</strong><em>I guess you are too?</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>With the nod of his head, he pulled out an empty chair from the table, sitting down. He had this look about him. You recognized it. He wanted to talk. </p><p><strong>"</strong><em>It could just be my nerves. I-I'm really happy your home, Reader. Heh, took you long enough,</em><strong>" </strong>he laughed beneath his breath. </p><p>You sighed before speaking, wanting to address things in a way that evoked a calm and understanding conversation instead of hostility. You found this to be a more difficult task than you expected. You were hurt. Not only had he pushed you out of your haven, there were instances of him telling the kids (possibly rotten things from what Mabel had expressed to you the other day), and he never seemed to be able to finish his apologies. There was always a new diversion that arose to drag his attention away. You had to remind yourself that it possibly wasn't under his control. The fact that he was able to chuckle made you angry, though you were quick to take control of the emotion and attempt to deal with it in a healthy way. This didn't go over exactly as you had planned for it to.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>How can you laugh at me after what happened?</em><strong>" </strong>You began, looking up from the glass you held between your hands. <strong>"</strong><em>It isn't funny, it never was.</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>Realizing that the chuckle may have seem like a ill-natured period to his thought, he frowned. <strong>"</strong><em>I'm sorry, I-</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>You paused for a moment, deciding whether it was time to express your hurt or not. It was.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Were you sorry after you sent me away to fend for myself? Were you sorry after you told the kids what happened? Did you know what Mabel said to me the day I ran into them after the wax museum reopening? She told me I wanted to murder you, </em>
  <strong>murder you."</strong>
</p><p>He was all to familiar with what Mabel had said, and frankly, with the endless rants he went on telling the kids it wasn't her fault. He despised his impulse but was more than willing to take accountability.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Those kids don't need to know what goes on between us. What happens here needs to be our business, alone. I would hate to have them feeling like they need to choose a side.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Reader-</em><strong>" </strong>Stan spoke up, you were becoming too caught up in your emotions to hear him. You proceeded to shift the blame towards yourself. </p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>And </em>
  <em>I know I owe you an apology too. I shouldn't have pushed you to your limit the night we fought. I should've been more understanding, more reasonable. But sometimes, I don't think we're on the same team. Sometimes, I feel like I'm not being heard. I'm sorry I found that as the only possible way to get you to hear me. God, Stan, I can't express to you how miserable I've been.</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Your hands were trembling now, you held them together under the table to try and contain your shaking. A glossy layer began to coat your eyes.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>Reader-</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>What's happened to us? We've always been able to face our struggles head on. Why was this the exception?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p>Between you vocalizing your hurt and concerns, Stan had hesitantly taken your hands in his own, his thumbs grazing over your knuckles. As he spoke, his tone of voice was firm yet held it's initial warmth. <strong>"</strong><em>Reader, would you look at me, please?</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>Your eyes obediently lifted from the table, displaying the tears that now began to stream down your flushed cheeks. Stan produced a sad grin. He wanted more than ever to touch you. Would you accept his comfort? The fact that you held his hands back was enough to answer his question. Reaching out, he smoothed your hair back, letting his palm travel to your cheek. Eyes grew wide at the affection, but you didn't pull back. You had missed it.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Reader, as much as we wish we could, we can't go back on what happened. We can't forget the hurt or erase the words that were said. I'm so sorry that I turned you away. I apologize for letting my emotions and stubborn arrogance get the best of me. I did you wrong and while I can't change that or take it away, we can move on. If you'll have me, I will spend every day making it up to you. </em>I<em> don't expect anything from you, but do you think you could ever forgive me?</em><strong>"</strong></p><p>Anyone could see that the apology was sincere. He was right, you could move on from this. The two of you could get back on your feet and work to repair the strained relationship. It may never get back to where it was to begin with, but you could live with that. You wanted to.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Of course, I forgive you.</em><strong>" </strong>This extracted a sigh from Stan, one he seemed to be holding.</p><p>
  <strong>"</strong>
  <em>And do you think you could forgive me?</em>
  <strong>"</strong>
</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>Yeah, I think I can,</em><strong>" </strong>he teased with a wink. This brought you to chuckle. </p><p>Things seemed right again. Of course there would be work involved, but the both of you were willing to pull your weight. </p><p>Standing up with a grunt, Stanley pulled you with him, snaking an arm around your frame. This time, you weren't uncertain of how you should feel or where your relationship stood. <strong>"</strong><em>I've missed you,</em><strong>" </strong>you muttered, gazing towards him with an appreciative smile. You felt your body begin to sway back and forth in a lulling motion. Your grin was returned. </p><p>Your hands rose to press against his sides, toying a bit with the fabric of his sleepwear. </p><p>In the month the two of you were apart and all the instances you spent together, Stan had found it impossible not to lay his affections on you. He had grown impatient. You had as well.</p><p>Closing the gap between you, he pressed a gentle kiss to your lips, not wanting to startle you. He could feel how your lips turned into a smile, encouraging him to continue. With your arms wrapping around his neck now, Stanley began to walk you back. Your lips never once left each others as he placed an arm on either side of you, palms pressing against the table. Kisses grew deeper as the both of you strove to fulfill your starved passion. With an elated hum, two hands came to hoist you up on the table behind you.</p><p>It took strength for the both of you to part, heavy breaths leaving open lips. Your chest rose and fell from the oncoming excitement. You heard a chuckle from Stan and looked to see he had positioned himself between your legs, leaned over your body. To say you were becoming carried away was an understatement. It wasn't appropriate for the two of you to take care of your needs here. Stan was aware of this as well, but eager to continue where you had left off, somewhere more comfortable.</p><p><strong>"</strong><em>I think we've got some lost time to make up for-</em><em>,</em><strong>" </strong>he murmured, raising a smirk. </p><p>Helping you down from the table, Stanley took your hand in his. The two of you made your way up the flight of stairs and towards the room you were happy to share. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Making up for Lost Time (NSFW)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alex Hirsch.... I'm so sorry.</p><p>Also, I wrote this chapter with the song "Honeypie" by JAWNY, in mind.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The click of the lock on the bedroom door knob only heightened your anticipation. Before you could gain a composed appearance, the presence of his arms were made known. They entangled you against him as your back was brought to his chest. Hot breath made contact with your neck as he craned his head down to rest on your shoulder.</p><p>"It's been too long without ya," Stanley murmured, his nose buried against your neck. With his fingers, he brushed away the curtain of your hair. "I really am glad you're home." You closed your eyes as you took a moment to enjoy the delicate strokes he made. With a quiet hum of contentment, you pressed your hands against his forearms that kept you secure. You noticed how your touch was answered by a squeeze.</p><p>You were happy to be home too. Eager and willing to begin the work it would take to mend the relationship.</p><p>The both of you stood close, wrapped up in each other. For the moment, neither you or Stan knew where to go from here. Sexual intimacy hadn’t been a part of your schedule for a while, even before the separation. There was a sense of awkward hesitancy you shared.</p><p>Stan cleared his throat, his head still resting beside your own. “Now, how should we get this night started?” You found his uncertainty, charming. Although he was a man of brash confidence who took what he wanted, he always yearned to make sure you were comfortable with the events to occur. Certainly now, he was willing to let you take charge.</p><p>“Maybe we could start with some dancing? We’ll take it from there-” You threw the suggestion out, wondering what he thought. The phrase felt so forced coming from your mouth. The silence left you anxious, as if he might laugh in response.</p><p>Taking your hand in his, Stanley lifted it in the air and spun you gently around so that you were facing him. Guiding your hand to his shoulder, he wrapped an arm around your waist. “I like how ya think, doll,” he smiled before leaving you to go and mess with the stereo.</p><p>You watched him go, allowing your hand to travel up to your forearm as you waited.</p><p>The sound of radio static filled the room as he searched for an appropriate station. Turning the dial of the stereo, he stopped as he found a song that matched the tempo of the evening. With a soft grin, Stan straightened up and began heading in your direction. He took his time in coming to retrieve you, admiring how you looked. Even in your pajamas, hair slightly jostled- you were glowing.</p><p>But why were you shy? You lived with this man for so long, the two of you knew everything about each other - the good and the bad. You couldn’t help but awkwardly laugh and shift your eyes to your feet. It never occurred to you that the feelings you thought were long gone may have been beginning to return. There was no possible way the two of you could pick back up where you left off. To completely push aside the intense emotions the both of you shared would be hurtful. For now, you were fine with awkwardness. It was to be expected.</p><p>Noticing your apprehensive stance, Stan held his hand out in your direction. Your eyes quickly met his offer before gazing up at him. “M’am,” he said, warmly.</p><p>Softly chuckling, you placed your hand in his own as he led you out to the “dance floor”. The floor in question was positioned right between the bed and the stereo. Wrapping your arms around the man’s neck, he proceeded to place his hands at your waist. The two of you found yourself swaying to the rhythm of the song.</p><p>The swaying gradually turned into something a bit more, requiring side steps. Accidentally, you stepped on Stan’s toes, pulling away with a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry,” you huffed.</p><p>“Don’t be, you didn’t hurt me.” He smiled.</p><p>Within moments, the two of you were starting off from the beginning again.</p><p>“It’s been a while since we’ve done this,” Stanley replied, understanding of your hesitancy. He had become quite clumsy himself, not having his usual partner to practice with. He grinned, peering towards you. His hands claimed their spot at your hips.</p><p>“Yeah, it has-,” Your gaze gradually faltered from his own, causing him to become more apprehensive.</p><p>You were enjoying the intimacy you shared with him, however, you couldn’t help but hold a healthy dose of caution when opening your heart up again. Not to mention, the two of you were still getting back into the rhythm of your relationship after some time apart.</p><p>“Something wrong, honey?” Stanley voiced his concern for the sudden change in demeanor. He worried you may not be in the mood for dancing, slowing the sway to a stop.</p><p>“No, no, everything’s perfect,” you spoke up, shaking your head.</p><p>It was painfully obvious to him that everything wasn’t “perfect”.</p><p>“You always were a bad liar.”</p><p>“I wasn’t trying too hard-,” you defended yourself, retrieving a laugh from the both of you.</p><p>“If we’re gonna work on fixing this relationship, we may need to ditch the lying.”</p><p>He was absolutely right, you commended him for that. Nodding. You would have spoken up to explain yourself, that simply stating you were fine to move the conversation along had become a vice. But what was the use? You didn’t want to give trite excuses anymore.</p><p>With your permission, Stan began to shift his weight between legs to the rhythm of the slow song, bringing you along with him. He could tell you were enjoying yourself, however, there was something in the way. It didn’t take much detective work to come to that conclusion. Not to mention, it didn’t take much prying from him to get an answer from you.</p><p>“Talk to me, pumpkin. What’s on that pretty mind of yours?” He hummed, placing his mouth close by your ear as he brought you in closer. This moment was seized as you took in his usual scent. The typical smoke breaks he took throughout the day and cologne he often wore, clung tight to his clothing. While overpowering to some, it always managed to ground you. Cigars and driftwood.</p><p>With tentative breaths, you began. “What can I say that hasn’t already been said? We’ve talked and shared our truths and I would hate to sound like a broken record.”</p><p>He waited for you to continue and when he realized you were having trouble locating the right words, he provided you with the support he could manage. It was brash, but it was the kind of encouragement you always appreciated and expected from Stan.</p><p>“Would you quit apologizing for yourself? You know it’s better to speak your mind than keep all that shit hidden. You’ve told me that before, although, you may have said it differently. I don’t expect our one little confrontation downstairs to be the end of this.”</p><p>You continued his thought, even if it took you a moment to speak. “The conversations will help with the healing. If we were to completely ignore the pain, it could hurt us more in the long run. Talking it out is healthy.”</p><p>Stanley nodded, his hands beginning to trail along your upper arms. “That’s it.”</p><p>Your lips turned up in a wide smile, your face falling downward.</p><p>Placing the pad of his thumb against your chin, his index finger curled behind, you felt your gaze lift from the floor and back to his.</p><p>You could feel the fear as it subsided. Stan watched you release your breath.</p><p>The both of you felt clarity. You took and gave each other a sense of understanding, compassion, and belonging. This was why the two of you were so perfectly matched; you weren’t only what the other wanted, but what they needed.</p><p>You smoothed his hair over with your hand, finding your palm landing at the edge of his cheek. His skin was prickly as it hadn’t been shaven in a while. It tickled you.</p>
<hr/><p>“Why have you stayed with me for as long as you did?” Stan’s voice carried a tinge of tease, though as usual, there were underlying tones of truth. “You should’ve left when you had the chance.” His fingers drew near to your rib cage, poking and prodding at your sides. You giggled and he took this opportunity to pull you flush against him.</p><p>“What can I say? You’ve always kept me entertained. Life is exciting with you.” Your hands went up to play with the fabric of the white wife-beater he wore.</p><p>“I hope that’s not all you like about me,” Stan raised an eyebrow at you, chuckling.</p><p>“One of the many things,” You smiled, pushing his hands aside as they threatened to tickle you once more. “Among your big heart, great sense of humor, love for adventure, and…” You were aware of how this next line would get him; it always did. You wanted to milk it for all it was worth. Resting your hand on his bicep, you placed the other on his chest, toying with the thick golden chain that hung from his neck. “...dashing good looks. You’re a silver fox.”</p><p>Just as if it had been rehearsed, he flexed the muscle beneath your hand. He was enjoying the oohs and aahs you made, even if they were a bit overkill. Stanley rolled his eyes in mock amusement. You couldn’t help yourself, his cocky reaction was far too lovable to give up the chance to compliment him.</p><p>“A silver fox, huh? You tease,” Stanley chuckled. You laughed as you felt yourself leaning back, held up by his arms as he stood over you. He brought you into a dip. “You’re not too bad yourself, honeypie.”</p><p>You could tell he brought out the big guns for this one, his tone of voice was brought a little deeper and - wait, what did he call you?</p><p>“Honeypie?” You had never heard that one before. It took everything in you but you still couldn’t force back the snort of laughter.</p><p>“What? Too corny?” Stanley laughed, hoping the red hue in his cheeks wasn’t visible to you in this moment of humiliation.</p><p>“Oh, it’s been awhile since we’ve flirted, hasn’t it?” You leaned up to press your lips against his bristly cheek. You found his embarrassment, cute. He looked uneasy, you decided to help alleviate the discomfort with more flattering comments. “You know, you still make me weak in the knees.”</p><p>“Are you sure it’s not just old age?” Stanley mocked and you smacked the side of his arm for it.</p><p>With a throaty laugh, he brought you in close, his hands slowly reaching down behind you. “Well, if it’s your knees that are giving you trouble, maybe I can help with that.”</p><p>You felt yourself being hoisted up, Stanley’s hands interlocking under your ass as he suspended you from the ground. A low laugh exited your smile as you draped your arms over his shoulders. “What a gentleman.”</p><p>Being picked up wasn’t something you were fond of, he was well aware of this. The feeling of weightlessness was always one that made you queasy. However, you had grown accustomed to it.</p><p>Taking a few steps backwards with you in his arms, Stan closed the gap between your faces to catch your lips in a heated kiss. It took you a moment before you were able to check back into reality, finding that you were now laying with your back on the bed. Stanley’s hips were nestled between your legs. Straightening up with a low groan, he pulled the wife-beater over his head and tossed it aside. He, then, began working on your night shirt. With your help, he managed to get it off, adding it to the pile of tossed clothing.</p><p>“Well, hello gorgeous-,” He murmured as he returned his eyes to your exposed breasts. His voice oozed with provocative tones, making you feel quite bare and vulnerable under his gaze. An intense blush filled your face with warmth and a smirk appeared on Stan’s as he knew he still made you squirm from his tantilizing remarks.</p><p>No matter how much time has passed, you still fell prey to his games.</p><p>His hands wasted no time in becoming acquainted with your breasts, roaming over and gently groping the soft skin. A breath hitched halfway in your throat from the skin to skin contact.</p><p>Stan caught himself in his passionate and immediate acts of lust, aware that he should check in on you before proceeding. “Is this okay with you, doll?” He raised his hands a bit from your breasts, wanting your approval before proceeding. The question seemed redundant to you, you had given him plenty of nonverbal and verbal indications that you wanted this intimacy. Stanley wanted to hear it again, however. He had sprung so many things on you- just in one night. Between moving back in, sleeping in the bed with you, and initiating sex, he couldn’t tell what was his call and what was yours. The conclusion that he, in fact, had been respectful with every proposal never dawned on him. He was just as hesitant as you were.</p><p>“Okay? It’s everything I want,” You said, leaning up to meet Stan. You tried your best not to sound cliche.</p><p>The honest truth- you and Stanley lived for the cliches.</p><p>Taking hold of your hands in his, he lifted them to his lips. He was delighted, confused, and in short- dumbfounded that you would give him another chance. Well, maybe this counted as more than just “another chance,” the two of you had given each other plenty of those.</p><p>As one of your hands gained freedom, you slowly reached up to his face. With your fingers traveling through his hair and placing themselves on the back of his head, you pulled him in for another prolonged kiss. He was more than happy to receive it.</p><p>Placing his hands on your shoulders, he gently laid you back again. Your eyelids fluttered shut and you allowed yourself the luxury of relaxation. Your own hands reached forward to explore his own skin, fingers gliding over his waist. It was all you could manage to get from the position you were in. Stanley brought himself closer to meet your touch.</p><p>With his hands, he brought and pinned yours against the mattress on either side of your head. You were eager to receive his kiss once again. Stanley had different plans, spectating your breasts as they rose and fell. Returning his hands to where they had left off, he lowered himself to your neck. Leaving a trail of feather soft kisses on your skin, he began to trace the outline of your nipples before zeroing in on the buds of them. He caught them between the tips of his index finger and thumb. His tongue dragged along your pulse.</p><p>This brought a blissful shudder from you and his name left your lips in a delicate plea.</p><p>It always drove him mad the way you said his name in the bed. If it weren’t for the little self-control he had and the amount of amusement he got from sexual teasing you, he would have given you what you two wanted right then.</p><p>Making small tugs at his hair brought along a string of hums from him. Stanley brought his lips down to your collarbone and to your breasts where he had been toying at your nipples. He wanted to catch your gaze as he flattened his tongue against your hardened bud, closing his lips around to award you with a suck. Lifting your head up as best as you were able, you watched him as he worked. Your mouth fell agape as he proceeded to flick, shooting you with a wink and a cheeky grin. A moan managed to break free, encouraging him.</p><p>Tightening your grip around the grey strands of hair, your tugs grew a little more desperate. As you did so, Stanley introduced a gentle nibble to the mix. He enjoyed listening to the moans and hums you presented him with.</p><p>“That feels so good, babe,” you managed, allowing your head to drift backwards on the pillow. You continued to rub your fingers into his scalp. “I’ve missed this so much.”</p><p>Stan knew you were feeling aroused and relaxed. He felt accomplished knowing he was still capable of fulfilling you sexually. He was thoroughly enjoying himself too. The growing bulge in his boxers could prove that as it pressed against your clothed crotch.</p><p>“Yeah?” This was all he could think to say at the moment, releasing his mouth from your nipple to gaze at you. There were a multitude of other words he could say in this instance, but what was appropriate? He worried he would bore you to death with more confessions of love or apologies. “I’ve missed this too. I was an idiot to have treated you the way I did.”</p><p>He didn’t know you too well, after all. You could listen to him gush all day if he would.</p><p>“Will you let me treat ya right?”</p><p>You watched as his hands made their way down from your chest to your pajama bottoms, playing with the strings between his fingers. Meeting his gaze, you gave him a nod. You held yourself from catching your lip between your teeth. You were beginning to ache for him.</p><p>With your permission, Stanley began to lower your pants, bringing your panties along with them. Your hands momentarily grazed his as he dragged them down your hips and off of your legs.</p><p>With your arms, you propped yourself up. Stanley lowered himself to his knees. He couldn’t hold back his amusement in seeing you splayed out like this, your legs open, looking at him with anticipation for what was to come. What he had to say next made your face heat up.</p><p>“Why don’t you play with yourself, honey? Show me how much you want this?”</p><p>Oh. Oh God. Why did he always do this to you? He knew which strings to pull and you let him. Every. Time. But you missed the teasing and bedroom talk.</p><p>“Come on. You know I’m impatient.” He continued, pulling down his boxers to free his dick. His member sprung out and raised flat against his stomach. You gained just as much amusement in seeing that as he did knowing he still excited you.</p><p>You figured if he was going to embarrass you like this, you might as well have some fun with him.</p><p>“Let’s make this a game. I wanna see how long you can take it without touching me.”</p><p>“And if I lose?” He raised an eyebrow, liking the sound of this.</p><p>“Well, I won’t complain.” You took a moment to think of a proper punishment. “Hm, but, you’ll have to-,” your eyes scanned the room. It was in need of a thorough cleaning. “You’ll have to be the maid for a week.”</p><p>Stan laughed in return. He wasn’t confident he would be successful in this bet at all but he enjoyed your tenacity.</p><p>“You got yourself a deal.”</p><p>“The clock starts now,” You said with a smile as you leaned back on the bed, propped up by some of the pillows behind you. Stanley remained on his knees before standing up from his crouched position to kick away his boxers and get a better angle at your body.</p><p>Smiling something devilish his way, you placed your index finger in your mouth. Lips curled around your digit as you sucked on it, your eyelids fluttering shut. He knew he was in for it now.</p><p>Pulling the wet digit from your mouth, you spread your legs and lowered it to your awaiting pussy. Watching you as you toyed around with your clit, he proceeded to pump his hand around his dick.</p><p>“You look so good like that,” Stanley murmured. You refused to let that make you blush.</p><p>There was always an underlying game of who had the most control in the bedroom. It wasn't ever played for selfish games but more so for friendly competition. It made things exciting. He enjoyed making you melt and you enjoyed watching him blush.</p><p>“And you look so good with your dick in your hand. I like watching you masturbate- honeypie.” A wink followed your remark.</p><p>That seemed to get him to go quiet. You wanted to laugh but you kept it to yourself.</p><p>Tracing small circles against your clit, you pushed down a bit to get a slightly firmer rub. This time, you permitted your lip to wedge itself between your teeth, resting your head back against the pillow. A moan worked its way through your lips as you continued drawing circles with your finger. Lifting your free hand, you began playing with your breast.</p><p>While you were definitely putting on a display for Stan, you couldn’t deny how absolutely delicious it felt. To be stared at, to be the center of Stanley’s undivided attention. You had him wrapped around your finger now. He stood at the edge of the bed, tending to his aching dick, mouth slightly open as you visually fulfilled his perverse fantasies. It took everything in him not to touch you and it was getting hard for you to hold back on your end of the deal.</p><p>“Why don’t you get your fingers wet for me? Since I can’t do it myself?” Stan instructed, encouraging you with a tease.</p><p>You were too hot and heavy to smile, eagerly agreeing to his suggestion. The act was waning now and Stan could see it. He took pleasure in breaking down your walls. </p><p>With your finger and thumb twitching and tugging at your nipple, you plunged your index and middle finger into your slick pussy. A small gasp was pulled from you and you dipped your head back once again.</p><p>“How does that feel, angel?” His pumping increased, breath becoming heavy and ragged. He caught himself, slowing his pace down just a touch to keep from finishing early. He was enjoying this too much to let it be cut short. "Why don't you go a little faster?"</p><p>You did as he instructed, increasing the speed as you pumped your fingers in. Shifting your position, you were able to dive them in deeper. Your palm met your crotch with every plunge. Tweaking at your hardened bud, you allowed your head to fall back. His name began to fall from your lips in blissful doses as you brought yourself closer to your breaking point. You looked so precious to him like this. He liked the perverse whimpers you produced but hoped to be the reason you made them soon. </p><p>Just before he knew you were about to release, Stanley stepped forward and grabbed your wrist. </p><p>"Not without me-" he smiled, watching your features trace an expression of anticipation and want. </p><p>"I know I lost, but I can't keep my hands off ya any longer." </p><p>You were happy to hear this. </p><p>"Screw the game, I need you." </p><p>Stanley could see your fingers glistening as you slowly pulled them out. Climbing onto the mattress, he mounted himself between your legs. Taking an ankle in each hand, he slung your legs over his shoulders. With his hands placed on your hips, he pulled you closer to him. </p><p>Guiding his member with his hand, he gently pushed into you- your slick assisting him as he did so. </p><p>The both of your eyes fell shut at the feeling, pressure and pleasure. You both expressed moans of enjoyment.</p><p>It wasn't long before Stan wrapped his large hands around your thighs, proceeding to push his dick in and out of you in a steady motion. Your hand slid down to stimulate your clit, rubbing those repetitive circles. One of his came down to grope your breast as his pushing became thrusting. </p><p>Among the the sounds of the moans and whimpers, you listened to the orchestra of skin slapping against skin and the bed springs creaking. Your eyes spectated the gold chain as it rested against his chest and among a forest of hair. Ever since you had mentioned how you liked seeing him with it on, he practically worn it everywhere. </p><p>Your breasts bounced with every quick thrust. </p><p>The both of you had just about had enough waiting, anxious and ready to release. </p><p>As Stan continued fucking you, his thrusts hard and thorough, you successfully rubbed out an orgasm. Your legs began quivering over his shoulders, arms twitching as you grabbed onto his biceps for leverage as you rode out your high. Stan adored the way your eyes seemed to roll back, knowing he had done you well. It was long before he followed after, feeling you clench around his dick. His thrusts gradually slowed as he released spurt of thick cum, moaning.</p><p>"Oh, Reader," he groaned, his head leaning back. </p><p>Your body relaxed in pure bliss of the moment and the both of you shared in a rediscovered feeling of pure and unadulterated love for one another. You were rekindling an old flame. </p><p>Slowly pulling his member from you, Stan laid down beside you. Chests rose and fell as you attempted to cool off in the stuffy bedroom. It wasn't long before a chuckle arose from the two of you. Leaning over, he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into an embrace. In a time like this, he never failed to make a witty remark but the snarky jokes were long gone. He wanted to enjoy and soak in this sensation. </p><p>Your eyelids had fallen shut somewhere along the way and with a small laugh, he pressed his lips to your forehead. Tugging at the blanket, Stan wrapped it over the both of you. You remained in his arms for the remainder of the night. Stan would see to it that you never left them again. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm seriously so sorry it took me 500 years to post this update.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>